Individual background factors associated with vaccination for seasonal influenza in Japanese schoolchildren

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThere is little evidence about how individual background factors affect seasonal influenza vaccination of children. At the end of the 2014/2015 influenza season, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of all elementary schoolchildren in 29 schools in Matsumoto City, Japan, was conducted to obtain information about vaccine uptake activity and individual background factors. Of the 10,524 subjects who responded, 5063 (48.1%) had been vaccinated. Grade in school, underlying disease, number of siblings, and diagnosis with and vaccination for influenza during the previous influenza season differed significantly in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Multivariate logistic regression showed that underlying disease and vaccination during the previous influenza season was associated with a higher rate of vaccination, whereas higher grade in school and having 3 siblings was associated with a lower rate of vaccination. The findings may be useful to promote a vaccination policy recommending financial support to households with many children or to encourage higher uptake of vaccination in higher grade children.

Rate of diagnosed seasonal influenza in children with influenza-like illness: A cross-sectional study

“…Reasons for not seeking medical care even when ILI was present have been reported in previous studies, including OTC drug use [8], and background factors such as season, geographical region, age group, and gender [9]. Factors regarding choice of behavior affecting disease prevention may include family size [24], symptoms such as fever and rash [25] and malaise [26].…”