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School-entry requirements key in boosting adolescent vaccination compliance
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Sending parents educational materials about necessary adolescent vaccinations does not lead to compliance as effectively as school-entry requirements, according to study results published online.
Erin Bugenske, MPH, and colleagues at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases reviewed vaccine school-entry requirements or education for 50 states and the District of Columbia for the 2008-2009 school year to measure immunization rates. The researchers focused on three vaccinations recommended for adolescents: tetanus and diphtheria toxoids or tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis, meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY; Menveo, Novartis), and HPV vaccines. Researchers used data from the 2008-2009 National Immunization Survey – Teen.
Bugenske and colleagues said 32 states had Td/Tdap vaccine school-entry requirements and none had Td/Tdap education requirements; three states required MenACWY vaccine and 10 others required education; one state required HPV vaccine and five required education about this vaccine.
Immunization rates were significantly higher where vaccination was required for school entry: MenACWY was 71% compared with 53%, and Td/Tdap was 80% compared with 70%. States with new and pre-existing school-entry vaccine requirements also had a significant increase in coverage when compared with states with no requirements.
The researchers recommended further evaluation of education requirements, “including distribution methods, message content, and influence on parental attitudes … to ensure that states are utilizing resources effectively.”
Disclosure: Ms. Bugenske reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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