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Influenza Vaccine Requirements in United States Child Care Centers
Timothy R Shope1, Benjamin H Walker2, Laura Aird3
1Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Insights
Seasonal influenza vaccine requirements in childcare are low, with only 24.5% of centers requiring it for children. State laws significantly influence these vaccine mandates for childcare attendees and staff.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Disease Prevention
- Childcare Policy
Background:
- Influenza poses a significant risk to children in childcare settings.
- Seasonal influenza vaccination is the primary preventive measure for this high-risk population.
- Childcare centers play a crucial role in public health by implementing vaccine policies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess current seasonal influenza vaccine requirements for children and adult caregivers in US childcare centers.
- To identify factors influencing childcare directors' decisions on vaccine mandates.
- To inform policy recommendations for improving influenza vaccine coverage in childcare.
Main Methods:
- A 2016 national telephone-based survey of randomly selected US childcare center directors.
- Inquiry about existing influenza vaccine requirements for children and staff.
- Analysis of center/director characteristics and thematic indexes (infection control, health consultants, childcare quality, pandemic preparedness) as predictors.
Main Results:
- Low reported influenza vaccine requirements: 24.5% for children, 13.1% for adult caregivers.
- Center and director characteristics did not predict vaccine requirements.
- State influenza vaccine laws for children and adult requirements were key predictors of child vaccine requirements.
Conclusions:
- Director-reported influenza vaccine requirements are strongly linked to state legislation.
- Low requirement rates highlight the need for more state laws mandating influenza vaccination in childcare.
- Policy interventions are necessary to protect vulnerable children and childcare staff from influenza.
Background:
Influenza vaccine is the most effective means to prevent influenza for the high-risk population of child care attendees. This national survey assessed child care center directors' reports of seasonal influenza vaccine requirements for children and adult caregivers.
Methods:
This was a 2016 telephone-based survey of child care center directors randomly selected from a national database of licensed United States child care centers and queried about influenza vaccine requirements. Conceptually related items were grouped into 4 indexes: general infection control, use of health consultants, quality of child care, and pandemic influenza preparedness. These indexes, along with other center and director characteristics, were used to predict director-reported influenza vaccine requirements.
Results:
Of 518 child care center directors, only 24.5% and 13.1% reported an influenza vaccine requirement for children and adult caregivers, respectively. Center and director characteristics and the indexes were not associated with a director-reported influenza vaccine requirement. After adjusting for covariates, only having a state influenza vaccine law for children and an adult influenza vaccine requirement predicted having a child influenza vaccine requirement. Only having a child influenza vaccine requirement predicted having an adult vaccine requirement.
Conclusions:
Director-reported influenza vaccine requirements for children and adult caregivers were influenced primarily by state influenza vaccine laws. Given the high risk of children in child care and low director-reported influenza vaccine requirements, more states should pass laws requiring influenza vaccine for children and adult caregivers at child care programs.
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