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Transparency key to increasing vaccination rates

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BETHESDA, Md. — Providing safe immunization programs and reporting them accurately and transparently to the public can be vital to improving vaccination rates, according to Natasha S. Crowcroft, MD, chief of applied immunization research at Public Health Ontario.

“We believe that, unless we are honest and transparent about what’s happening with our immunization programs, it’s very hard for us to stand up and reassure parents,” Crowcroft said during her presentation at the Annual Conference on Vaccine Research. “One of the things that really undermines public confidence is the sense that information has been kept hidden.”

Public Health Ontario (PHO) has its vaccine safety reports for 2012 and 2013 posted on its website (www.publichealthontario.ca/vaccinesafety). Among other data, the reports share information on adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) with measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine. According to the website, health professionals in Ontario are required to report AEFIs to local public health units. PHO then analyzes those AEFIs and contributes data to national and international vaccine safety surveillance systems.

Eighty-two MMR and eight MMRV AEFIs were reported from January 2012 through December 2013, although the reports express concern that AEFIs may be underreported. PHO plans to strengthen AEFI reporting by:

• continuing efforts to address the quality and completeness of AEFI data in the integrated Public Health Information System through regular education and training for public health units (PHUs);
• implementing targeted provincial strategies to increase AEFI reporting among health professionals; and
• exploring new methods to promote the use of current AEFI surveillance forms and guidance documents to PHU staff.

Crowcroft said the percentage of children vaccinated for measles has risen, but work still needs to be done.

“Already in 2015 we have nearly as many cases [19] as we had in the whole of 2014 [22]. We think coverage is pretty good. We can’t be complacent about vaccination coverage,” Crowcroft said, noting that importations are the primary concern with measles in North America.

She pointed to “some catch up” regarding immunizations in 2012-2013, when measles vaccination coverage included 88.3% of children aged 7 years and 95.4% of children aged 17 years. Crowcroft said the goal in Ontario is to have at least 97% of the population vaccinated for measles. Fewer than 2% percent of children aged 7 years had MMR vaccination exemptions of any kind during 2012-2013.

During the same period, 87.9% and 95.2% of children aged 7 years were vaccinated for mumps and rubella, respectively; while among children aged 17 years, 93.7% and 97.1% received mumps and rubella vaccinations, respectively. In particular, mumps vaccination rates among children aged 17 years more than doubled since 2008-2009. – by David Jwanier

Reference:
Deeks SL, et al. Abstract: Vaccine Safety and Public Perception. Presented at: Annual Conference on Vaccine Research; April 13-15, 2015; Bethesda, Maryland.

Disclosure: Crowcroft reports no relevant financial disclosures.