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Impact of a school-based influenza immunization program on disease burden: comparison of two Tennessee counties

Katherine A Poehling1, H Keipp Talbot, John V Williams

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.

Vaccine
|May 12, 2009
PubMed

Insights

A school-based influenza vaccine campaign in Knox County increased vaccination coverage in school-aged children. This likely contributed to similar influenza rates between Knox and Davidson Counties for this age group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health Interventions
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Influenza poses a significant outpatient burden on children.
  • School-based vaccination campaigns are a key public health strategy to improve pediatric influenza immunization rates.
  • Assessing the impact of targeted vaccination campaigns is crucial for optimizing public health resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the outpatient burden of laboratory-confirmed influenza among children in Knox and Davidson Counties.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based influenza vaccination campaign implemented in Knox County during the 2006-2007 season.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study design was employed, analyzing outpatient data from 1016 eligible children.
  • Influenza vaccination coverage and influenza positivity rates were assessed in preschool-aged and school-aged children.
  • Data were collected during the 2006-2007 influenza season, with Knox County having a school-based vaccination campaign.

Main Results:

  • Overall influenza positivity was 20% among enrolled children.
  • Vaccination coverage was similar for preschool-aged children (36% vs. 33%) but higher for school-aged children in Knox County (44% vs. 12%).
  • Influenza detection was higher in Knox County preschool-aged children (18% vs. 10%) but similar for school-aged children (28% vs. 27%).

Conclusions:

  • The school-based influenza vaccination campaign in Knox County demonstrated a potential direct effect on increasing vaccination coverage among school-aged children.
  • While influenza rates were similar for school-aged children, the higher vaccination coverage suggests campaign efficacy.
  • Further research may be warranted to explore the nuances of influenza burden and campaign impact across different age groups.

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