Determinants of incomplete vaccination in children at age two in France: results from the nationwide ELFE birth cohort

Abstract

Incomplete vaccination in the pediatric population is a growing public health issue in high-income countries, but its determinants are poorly understood. Their identification is necessary to design target actions that can improve vaccination uptake. Our aim was to assess the determinants of incomplete vaccination in two-year-old children in France. Among the 18,329 children included in the 2011 ELFE French nationwide population-based birth cohort, we selected those for whom vaccination status was available at age two years. Incomplete vaccination was defined as ≥ 1 missing dose of recommended vaccines. Potential determinants of incomplete vaccination were identified by using logistic regression, taking into account attrition and missing data. Of the 5,740 (31.3%) children analyzed, 46.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 44.7–48.0) were incompletely vaccinated. Factors independently associated with incomplete vaccination were having older siblings (adjusted odds ratio 1.18, 95% CI [1.03–1.34] and 1.28 [1.06–1.54] for one and ≥ 2 siblings, respectively, vs. 0), residing in an isolated area (1.92 [1.36–2.75] vs. an urban area), parents not following health recommendations or using alternative medicines (1.81 [1.41–2.34] and 1.23 [1.04–1.46], respectively, vs. parents confident in institutions and following heath recommendations), not being visited by a maternal and child protection service nurse during the child’s first two months (1.19 [1.03–1.38] vs. ≥ 1 visit), and being followed by a general practitioner (2.87 [2.52–3.26] vs. a pediatrician). Conclusions : Incomplete vaccination was highly prevalent in the studied pediatric population and was associated with several socio-demographic, parental, and healthcare service characteristics. These findings may help in designing targeted corrective actions. What is Known: • Incomplete vaccination in the pediatric population is a growing public health issue in high-income countries. • The partial understanding of the determinants of incomplete vaccination precludes the design of effective targeted corrective actions. What is New: • High prevalence of incomplete vaccination at age two years in France. • Incomplete vaccination was independently associated with several socio-demographic, parental, and healthcare service characteristics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-022-04733-z.