Gargano LM. Pediatrics. 2011;doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0453.
A school-based seasonal influenza vaccination
intervention was associated with an increase of more than 10% in coverage rates
from one influenza season to the next, according to recent study findings.
Researchers aimed to compare influenza vaccination
coverage strategies among adolescents in rural Georgia. The researchers
investigated school-based approaches and provider-based approaches.
There were three arms in the trial: a middle school- and
high school-based influenza vaccination intervention in one county, a
provider-based intervention in another county and a standard-of-care condition
program in a third county.
Educational brochures, school presentations and
community outreach programs were included in the interventions. The aim was to
increase vaccine knowledge and awareness among students and their parents.
During the 2008 to 2009 season, 70 of 370 students (19%)
were vaccinated in the first county, 110 of 736 (15%) were vaccinated in the
second county and 71 of 889 (8%) were vaccinated in the third
(RRschool= 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7-3.2; RRprovider=1.9; 95% CI,
1.4-2.5).
From 2009 to 2010, 114 of 375 students (30.4%) received
seasonal influenza vaccination in the school-based intervention county vs. 122
of 663 students (16.9%) in the provider-based intervention county and 131 of
861 students (15.2%) in the standard-of-care county (RRschool=2.3;
95% CI, 1.9-2.9; RRprovider=1.2; 95% CI, 0.97-1.5).
“Special efforts to promote influenza vaccination
among rural, predominantly black students were associated with increased
vaccination coverage,” the researchers wrote. “The school-based
influenza vaccination intervention was associated with the highest levels of
vaccination coverage.”