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Infant immunization and family size

Richard Reading1, Heidi Surridge, Ruth Adamson

  • 1School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ. r.reading@uea.ac.uk

Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England)
|December 16, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Infants with more older siblings are more likely to experience delayed pertussis immunization. This delay increases the risk of pertussis infection due to intrafamilial contagion.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Immunization practices
  • Public health

Background:

  • Delayed infant immunization poses a public health concern.
  • The role of family structure, specifically the number of older siblings, in immunization timing is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if the number of older siblings influences the timeliness of infant immunizations.
  • To assess the association between sibling number and delayed pertussis and MMR vaccination.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort analysis of 616 children aged 1-4 years in Norwich, UK.
  • Examined cumulative immunization uptake and age at third pertussis and MMR vaccinations.
  • Defined delayed immunization as pertussis at ≥6 months and MMR at ≥16 months.

Main Results:

  • A higher number of older siblings was significantly associated with delayed pertussis immunization (23.3% vs 6.2%).
  • No significant association was found between the number of older siblings and delayed MMR immunization.
  • Delayed pertussis immunization increased with each additional older sibling.

Conclusions:

  • Infants with older siblings face a heightened risk of pertussis infection via intrafamilial spread.
  • These infants are consequently less likely to receive timely immunizations, particularly for pertussis.
  • Family dynamics, including sibling number, are critical factors in adherence to infant immunization schedules.
Abstract

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