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Children were aware of influenza, importance of influenza vaccine
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The majority of surveyed children recognized the potentially severe consequences of influenza and believed vaccination was “a good idea,” according to data presented at the 44th National Immunization Conference in Atlanta.
Researchers from Oxford Outcomes, MedImmune LLC and several other U.S. sites designed a Web-based survey to assess children’s experiences with and understanding of influenza and influenza vaccines.
The researchers identified children aged 8 to 12 years through their parents, who were sampled from KnowledgePanel (Knowledge Networks) — a nationwide online panel composed of more than 40,000 U.S. residents. The researchers administered the survey from August to September 2009. Five hundred forty-four children participated in the study, according to the researchers.
Results revealed that 95% of children were familiar with the word “flu,” and 78% reported knowing what influenza is. Children aged 11 to 12 years were significantly more likely to report knowing what influenza is compared with children aged 8 to 10 years.
Children with reported knowledge of influenza also selected symptoms from a predefined list that they associated with the disease, according to the researchers. Fever, headache, cough and feeling tired and sore all over were the most commonly selected symptoms.
Half of the children had influenza in the past, according to survey responses, and 34% said they never had influenza. Sixteen percent reported being unsure about whether they had ever had the illness. Children also appeared to recognize influenza as contagious, according to the researchers.
Fifty-five percent of children said they had been administered the influenza vaccine, with more boys than girls reporting vaccination. Seventy-five percent of children had been administered the influenza vaccine only as an injection; 8% had been administered the vaccine only as a nasal spray; and 15% had been administered both forms. – by Melissa Foster