Pilot school-based influenza vaccine program holds lessons for future

A pilot program in New Mexico where children were vaccinated against influenza in their school holds some important lessons for school-partnership programs going forward, according to two speakers at the National Immunization Conference, held in Dallas this week.

Lance Chilton, MD, of the Young Children’s Health Center in Albuquerque, and Anna L. Pentler, MPH, MBA, of The New Mexico Immunization Coalition at the University of New Mexico, detailed a school-based vaccination program launched this past influenza season.

The program included 76 schools, which account for about 10% of all schools in New Mexico. About 11,000 students, who make up about 35% of the total student population in those schools, were immunized. More than 720 school staff members were immunized, or about half of the staff in the schools reporting on this measure.

Pentler said 74% of the participants were vaccinated using LAIV (Flumist, MedImmune), and 26% of the participants received TIV. She said there was some reluctance from some parents about the live vaccine, mainly due to the fact that it is a relatively new vaccine but she said those schools that communicated with parents more about the live vaccine saw more LAIV uptake.

“There was huge enthusiasm for this program and several important lessons were learned,” Pentler said. "There was a lot of feedback on how to make things run more smoothly." A few nurses noted problems double checking written forms from parents, she said. The schools that had the most success with school-based immunizations were those that had areas set up at school registration to explain the vaccination program.

The researchers said they were in the process of compiling data looking at whether the program actually reduced the rate of influenza compared with schools that did not participate in the program, and also whether the program would have a herd immunity effect on families.

However, since influenza was not reported in New Mexico until late in February, the data was still being gathered.

Answering those that argue that school-based immunizations take time away from ediucation, Chilton said the tradeoff of no vaccination could be absenteeism due to influenza. This is far more costly than the time it takes to vaccinate a child, he said.

For more information:

Chilton L. # 25. National Immunization Conference. March 30-April 2, 2009; Dallas.