Home Research Research Library The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccinations in United States primary care practices The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccinations in United States primary care practices 2025 Author(s) Ataç, Ömer, Peterson, Lars E, and Waters, Teresa M Topic(s) Role of Primary Care, and What Family Physicians Do Keyword(s) Prime, and Visiting Scholar/Fellow Volume PLOS One Source PLOS One Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial burdens for patients and our healthcare delivery system. Many patients delayed seeking care for essential medical needs, and providers struggled to deliver services. This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on administration of non-COVID-19 vaccinations through primary care practices, using a nationwide sample. Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional study, clinical records from the American Board of Family Medicine’s (ABFM) PRIME Registry for March 15, 2019 through March 14, 2022, were used to calculate monthly visit and vaccination rates among child-adolescents and adults, comparing Pre-Pandemic Year and Pandemic Years 1 and 2. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of patient characteristics with vaccination likelihood. Results The number of vaccinated individuals decreased by 9.6% among children-adolescents and 4.2% among adults in Pandemic Year 1. In the Pandemic Year 2, the decline had worsened as 19.4% for children-adolescents and 14.2% for adults compared to the Pre-Pandemic Year. Despite a partial rebound in visit rates, vaccination rates did not fully recover. Except few months, differences in vaccination rates were worse than those in visit rates throughout the rest of the pandemic. Females, rural residents and individuals living in areas with higher social risk had the lowest likelihood of vaccination and this gap increased during the pandemic. Conclusions The pandemic was associated with a decline in non-COVID-19 vaccinations that persisted through the second year of the pandemic. This decline raises concerns that delayed or missed vaccinations may trigger outbreaks of preventable diseases and the resurgence of diseases that were previously under control. ABFM Research Read all 2023 Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices Go to Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices 2020 Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) Go to Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) 2014 Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health Go to Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health 2019 Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why? Go to Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why?
Author(s) Ataç, Ömer, Peterson, Lars E, and Waters, Teresa M Topic(s) Role of Primary Care, and What Family Physicians Do Keyword(s) Prime, and Visiting Scholar/Fellow Volume PLOS One Source PLOS One
ABFM Research Read all 2023 Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices Go to Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices 2020 Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) Go to Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) 2014 Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health Go to Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health 2019 Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why? Go to Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why?
2023 Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices Go to Racial/Ethnic Minority Identifying Family Physicians Are More Likely to Work in Solo Practices
2020 Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE) Go to Integrating Community and Clinical Data to Assess Patient Risks with A Population Health Assessment Engine (PHATE)
2014 Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health Go to Health is Primary: Family Medicine for America’s Health
2019 Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why? Go to Endoscopic Services in the United States: By Whom, for What, and Why?
