Determinants influencing self-paid vaccination coverage, in 0-5 years old Polish children

Immunization is an important and cost-effective public health intervention to protect the population from illness. In Poland, in addition to free of charge vaccines, listed in the national program on immunization, self-paid vaccinations for pneumococcal, meningococcal, rotavirus, varicella, influenza infections and combination vaccines are recommended. The study objective was to measure the coverage and influencing determinants of self-paid vaccinations in 0-5-year-old children seen between June 2009 and January 2010 at 3 randomly selected GP practices located in one region in the south-western part of Poland. Parents of the children who were seen consecutively were invited to participate and complete questionnaires on socio-demographic data and other factors related to paid vaccination. The response rate: 93.3%. Among the 308 parents (18-50 years old, median 31 years) who agreed to participate, 77.9% (95%CI: 73.0-82.2%) had their child vaccinated with at least one paid vaccine. Combination vaccines were most commonly chosen (62.3%), followed by a pneumococcal (36.4%), influenza (14.3%), meningococcal (13.3%), and rotavirus (12.7%) vaccine. Most parents admitted that their decision was based on a healthcare worker's initiative informing them about the topic. The multi-variable regression model revealed that parent's factors: age≥25 years, high socio-economic status, having one child, and health system factor, i.e. practice location were each associated with greater odds of child immunization The high cost of a vaccine was associated with more than five times lower chance to immunize a child. Observed high coverage rate regarding self-paid vaccines among young children was influenced mostly by combination vaccines. As the cost of a vaccine was an important barrier for the immunization, the gradual introduction of some of currently self-paid vaccines in a national program would be of value. Future interventions on self-paid vaccination coverage should be more tailored, focusing especially on young parents with low income who have more than one child.