Influenza Vaccinations of Young Children Increased With Media Coverage in 2003

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. We sought to evaluate the impact of intense influenza media coverage during the 2003–2004 influenza season on the influenza vaccination status of children 6 to 59 months of age. METHODS. Children 6 to 59 months of age who presented to a large, academic pediatric continuity clinic or affiliated acute care clinic in the summer of 2004 were enrolled. A parental survey ascertained the influenza vaccination status of the child and family members during the 2003–2004 influenza season and factors that influenced their vaccination status. For children vaccinated in the clinic or health department, influenza vaccination dates were confirmed in a computerized medical chart or state immunization registry. RESULTS. Of 256 enrolled children, 98 (38%) parents reported that their child had received the 2003–2004 influenza vaccine, and 64 (65%) had confirmed influenza vaccination dates. Unlike the previous influenza season in which confirmed influenza vaccination dates from a similar study population were distributed more evenly from October through December, most children (75%) with confirmed vaccination dates received the vaccine after the media coverage in mid-November. Influenza vaccinations per week increased dramatically after the media coverage began (2.4 vs 8.6 per week; t test: P < .001). In late November and December 2003, the influenza-related media coverage, which focused primarily on an early, severe influenza season, increased dramatically and explained 85% of the variation in influenza vaccinations. Multivariate analysis showed that recalling a physician recommendation (odds ratio [OR]: 6.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3–19.7), having a family member who had received the influenza vaccine (OR: 9.5; 95% CI: 4.3–21.3), having a continuity clinic visit between October and January (OR: 4.5; 95% CI: 2.0–10.1), and having a high-risk medical condition (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.1–7.8) strongly predicted the influenza vaccination status in the children. CONCLUSION. Media coverage in conjunction with explicit physician recommendation for children and their contacts are key factors that are associated with influenza vaccination rates in children.

The impact of communications about swine flu (influenza A H1N1v) on public responses to the outbreak: results from 36 national telephone surveys in the UK.

“…Less research has assessed the effects of information about the course of an infectious disease outbreak on desire for vaccination, although at least one study has suggested that media reporting about the unexpected severity of a flu outbreak played a larger role in driving uptake of the vaccine than vaccine-specific reporting. 21 Several studies have suggested that media reporting about features of an outbreak, such as the number of cases or deaths, might influence key health behaviours. 9,19,60,67 However, we found no evidence to suggest that how much people had heard about swine flu in the past week affected likely vaccine uptake or that specific aspects of what they had heard had any substantial impact.…”

“…14,15 Reporting by these news sources has long been recognised as a key factor that can affect people's health-related behaviours and have both positive and negative consequences for the public's health. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] One way in which the media exert these effects is by 'setting the agenda'. The theory of agenda setting suggests that the more coverage an issue receives, regardless of the nature of that coverage, the more important it becomes to members of the public.…”

“…9,19,60 Although the impact of mass media campaigns on vaccine uptake has previously been documented, 20,61 few studies have assessed whether the way in which an infectious disease outbreak is reported or perceived affects desire for vaccination. 21 In this study, we analysed data from the telephone surveys commissioned by the Department of Health, England to identify variables associated with the 2009 swine flu outbreak that might encourage people to receive vaccination. We assessed the extent to which worry about the possibility of catching swine flu, perceptions of government preparedness for swine flu and perceiving that too much fuss had been made about the risk of swine flu predicted self-reported likelihood of accepting an offer of vaccination against swine flu.…”

Practice and Child Characteristics Associated With Influenza Vaccine Uptake in Young Children

“…[23][24][25] Confirmed by earlier publications, several factors were associated with increased influenza vaccinations, including any practice visit from October through January. 26 Also, children aged 6-11 months were more likely to be vaccinated than children aged 18-23 months. 27 Whether this difference was due to providers more frequently reviewing vaccination status in younger than older children or more frequent visits in younger children is unknown.…”

Relationship Between Media Coverage and Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccination Uptake in Denmark: Retrospective Study (Preprint)

“…They concluded that there was a limited influence of mainstream media on MMR vaccinations in the U.S.A. Mason and Donnely [9] observed that in the period 1997-1998 the vaccination uptake in Wales was lower in areas where a series of anti-MMR vaccine articles had been published, than areas where they had not been published. Ma et al [11] concluded that media coverage together with recommendations from physicians were associated with increased influenza vaccination coverage in young children. Finally Kelly et al [7] looked at the relationship between media exposure and knowledge about the HPV vaccine.…”