Though immunization is one of the greatest public health achievements, continued success relies on the quality with which vaccines are prescribed, dispensed, stored, and administered. Analysis of 1,987 event reports submitted to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) National Vaccine Errors Reporting Program
(ISMP VERP) from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2023, shows that most of the reported errors reached the patient (82.3%, n = 1,635). Most of the reports were submitted by a practitioner working in the outpatient setting including medical clinics (42.9%, n = 853), public health immunization clinics (17.9%, n = 355), physician practices (17.0%, n = 338), and community pharmacies (8.7%, n = 173). The error types reported most frequently included the wrong vaccine (25.2%, n = 501) and expired vaccine (19.8%, n = 393). As vaccination programs seek to achieve high immunization coverage, more needs to be done to reduce the risk of vaccination errors since they can lead to inadequate immunity, increased cost, and reduced confidence in the healthcare delivery system.
