"Ending federal funding didn’t simply reduce vaccine access—for many communities, it eliminated it," says Melanie Molina, MD, MAS, Mentored Faculty at the UCSF Action Research Center for Health and an emergency physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
To avoid costly future emergencies, researchers find increasing vaccine uptake through tailored education and accessibility is vital.
"Emergency departments serve as critical access points for medical care among underserved populations, many of whom lack primary care providers," says Dr. Molina, the lead author of out now in JAMA Network Open.