Debbie A. Gust, Vaccine Safety and Development Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-61, Atlanta, USA, Tara Strine, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA, Emmanuel Maurice, NIP/Data Management Division, CDC, 1600 Clifton Rd, Mailstop E-62, Atlanta, GA, USA, Husain Yusuf, National Immunization Program / CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E52, Atlanta, Ga, USA, and Ben Schwartz, Associate Director For Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIP, ESD, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, USA.
KEYWORDS:
Immunization, Health Surveys
BACKGROUND:
Although immunization coverage is high in the U.S., recent concerns about vaccine safety may adversely affect parent's decisions to immunize their children. In recent years media attention has focused on DTaP, hepatitis B and MMR vaccines.
OBJECTIVE:
Determine socio-demographic and other risk factors that predict parents whose children are missing two or more of the above vaccines (cases) versus those up to date for all vaccines (controls).
METHOD:
We conducted a case-control study by re-contacting a sample of households that participated in the National Immunization Survey during 2000-2001, defined by vaccination status. We performed multivariate analysis, controlling for significant socio-demographic characteristics, to determine differences between cases and controls in attitudes and beliefs about vaccines and vaccine safety.
RESULT:
Response rate was 52.1% (2,315 out of 4,440). Compared to controls, case households were more likely to: make $0-30,000 compared with those making ³$75,000 [OR=2.7, CI=1.4-5.5]; have 2 or more providers compared with those with one [OR=2.7, CI=1.6-4.6]; and to have 2-3 [OR=2.1, CI=1.1-3.8] and 4+ children [OR=4.5, CI=1.9-11.0] compared with those with 1 child. In addition, cases were more likely than controls to: not want a new baby to get all shots [OR=5.6, CI=2.0-15.9]; ask their doctor not to give their child a vaccine for reasons other than illness [OR=2.4, CI=1.0-5.7]; and to score vaccines as unsafe or somewhat safe [OR=2.3, CI=1.3-4.0].
CONCLUSION:
We found that parents of children missing 2 or more vaccines are more likely to have low income, multiple providers, and multiple children in the household. However, we found that beliefs about vaccine safety also contribute to vaccination behaviors. Efforts to maintain and improve immunization coverage must focus both on logistical issues and attitudes and beliefs.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describe the parents of children missing 2 or more of the following vaccines: DTP, MMR and Hepatitis B.
This abstract is meant to be part of a workshop entitled "Is Underimmunization Related to Vaccine Safety Concerns? Results from the National Immunization Survey"
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