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[The impact of multiple vaccinations on vaccine schedule adherence and parental attitudes in Monteregie]
Aicha Hamid1, Maryse Guay, Jacques Lemaire
1Département des Sciences de la santé communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, QC. a.hamid@rrsss16.gouv.qc.ca
Insights
New vaccine schedules may cause slight delays in DTaP-P-Hib vaccine administration for younger children. Most parents prefer multiple injections per visit but have concerns about vaccine safety.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunization
- Public Health
Background:
- Vaccination schedules are crucial for child health.
- Recent updates to vaccine schedules may impact administration and parental perceptions.
- Understanding parental opinions on multiple injections is vital for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of new vaccine schedules on adherence.
- To explore parental opinions regarding multiple vaccine injections during a single visit.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study utilizing self-administered questionnaires.
- Two cohorts of children (2002-2003 and 2004-2005) were surveyed.
- Vaccine data were verified with existing records.
Main Results:
- The 2nd and 3rd doses of DTaP-P-Hib vaccine were administered late in younger children (median 2 and 4 days late, respectively).
- 76% of parents favored receiving 2-3 injections in one visit.
- 61% of parents expressed concerns about increased side effect risks with multiple vaccines.
Conclusions:
- While observed delays in vaccine administration have minimal public health impact, parental concerns regarding the safety of multiple vaccines require addressing.
- Reassurance and education are necessary to improve parental confidence in updated vaccination schedules and multiple injection protocols.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the impact of adding new vaccines on schedule adherence and parental opinion of multiple injections.
Method:
A descriptive cross-sectional study by self-administered questionnaire mailed to a stratified random sample of each of two cohorts of children drawn from the Montérégie Birth Register: the 2002-2003 cohort (old vaccination schedule) and the 2004-2005 cohort (new schedule). Two surveys were done: Survey 1 (fall 2005-winter 2006) questioned parents whose address could be validated by Canada411.ca; Survey 2 (fall 2006) surveyed parents whose address was validated by the Quebec health insurance board (RAMQ). Incomplete or missing vaccine data were completed by verifying the vaccinators' files.
Results:
Analysis of schedule adherence by the Kaplan-Meier survival approach showed that the 2nd and 3rd doses of the DTaP-P-Hib vaccine were received late by the youngest children compared to the oldest (median number of days late: 2 days for the 2nd vaccine (p = 0.013) and 4 days for the 3rd vaccine (p < 0.001)). Many parents (76%) prefer 2 to 3 injections during a single visit, and 61% fear an increase in the risk of side effects.
Conclusion:
Even if the evaluated lateness has only a small public health impact, parents must be reassured about the safety of multiple vaccines.
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