Evaluating the Effectiveness of Opportunistic Vaccination during Hypertension and Diabetes Consultations in Family Medicine and Dental Clinics with the Support of Health Care Security Teams: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Opportunistic Vaccination (OpV) is a critical public health strategy to increase the uptake of essential immunizations, such as seasonal influenza, pneumococcal, and Tdap vaccines. These vaccinations are frequently missed in high-risk populations, including adult patients with hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM), as well as those attending routine dental clinics. This systematic review aims to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of implementing OpV during routine consultations in Family Medicine (for HTN/DM) and Dental visits, specifically when augmented by specialized non-clinical facilitators, such as Health Care Security Teams (HCSTs) or equivalent public health outreach, which serves as a scalable, system-level intervention to address access barriers. The review strictly follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, employing a comprehensive search across major databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and uses a predefined PICO framework to evaluate the primary outcome of increased vaccination uptake rates against secondary outcomes like cost-effectiveness and patient/provider barriers. Preliminary synthesis suggests that OpV with dedicated HCST support will significantly improve uptake rates compared to referral-only programs, particularly in underserved populations. This approach, while facing logistical challenges, is expected to demonstrate favorable cost-effectiveness. In conclusion, the strategic integration of OpV into chronic disease and dental care, underpinned by system-level facilitators, is a logistically advantageous and clinically relevant public health strategy vital for addressing vaccine hesitancy and improving access for high-risk patient groups.