Factors Associated with the 2017–2018 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

Abstract

Purpose During the 2017-2018 season, influenza vaccination among elementary, middle, and high school students was not supported by the government. As vaccines that are not included in the national immunization schedule are not registered in the computerized national immunization registry, vaccination rates in these groups during this season remain unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the vaccination rate among elementary, middle, and high school students during the 2017-2018 influenza season. Methods A total of 1,910 student’s parents (690 elementary school students; 611 middle school students; 609 high school students) participated in this survey. The survey involved a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). The following information related to participants’ 2017-2018 seasonal influenza vaccination status were collected: date, type, provider, and data source. Other data collected included student’s sex, grade, area of residence, and birth order, and parent’s age, educational level, and job status. Results The influenza vaccination rate for the 2017-2018 season was 70.1%, 48.9%, and 35.9% for elementary, middle, and high school students, respectively. Factors that were significantly related to the influenza vaccination rate in the 2017-2018 season were student’s sex, grade, area of residence and birth order, and parent’s age, educational level, and job status. Conclusion In the future, it will be necessary to conduct regular assessments of the rate of seasonal influenza vaccination to inform national policy development regarding seasonal influenza infectious diseases control or as an evaluation tool for vaccine programs. Key Words: Seasonal influenza, Vaccine coverage, Elementary school, Middle school, High school, Students