A standardized, pilot-tested telephone survey was administered to a stratified random sample (n = 1,998) of Colorado households between August 2007 and February 2008. Households with English-speaking parents and adolescent(s) aged 11–17 years were eligible.
Survey response rate was 43 % ; there were no significant differences between respondents and nonrespondents for three known demographic variables. Although most parents (78 % ) preferred a doctor's office for adolescent vaccination, a majority were also definitively or probably accepting of vaccination in public health clinics (74 % ), school health clinics (70 % ), obstetrics and gynecology clinics (69 % ; asked for females only), and emergency departments (67 % ). Parents were less accepting of vaccination in family planning clinics (41 % ) and retail-based clinics (36 % ). Perceived convenience and adolescents' comfort in the setting were positively associated with vaccination acceptance in most settings; concern with keeping track of vaccines given outside of the medical home was negatively associated with acceptance. Parents in rural areas were more likely than parents in urban areas to identify a setting outside of the medical home as the preferred “best” setting for vaccination.
Most parents assessed a doctors' office as the best setting for adolescent vaccination. However, vaccination in certain settings outside of the medical home seems to be acceptable to many parents.