Vaccination Coverage during Childhood and Adolescence among Undergraduate Health Science Students in Greece

Abstract

High rates of vaccination coverage in childhood represent one of the most important cost-effective tools of primary prevention and have substantially reduced the incidence of and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases globally. Vaccination coverage of young people has not been well estimated in Greece. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires and the participants’ Child Health Booklet were used to estimate complete vaccination coverage of mandatory vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases of undergraduate students at the University of West Attica during the academic year 2020–2021. Student’s t-tests were used to estimate mean values. Overall, 79% (95% CI: 78–81%) of study participants were fully vaccinated. This coverage was lower in males especially for vaccines that should be done during childhood (p = 0.045). High vaccination percentage (>90%) was observed for the meningococcus group A, C, W135, Y, measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis B and meningitis C vaccine. Nevertheless, suboptimal coverage was assessed for the booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, for the human papillomavirus vaccine among girls, for the tuberculosis, for the meningococcus group B, for the pneumococcal, and for the seasonal influenza vaccines. In conclusion, the promotion of routine vaccination programs for young adults needs to be strengthened. An identification system for under-vaccinated students, an efficient reminder system and university campus vaccine program practices should be established, particularly among males.

Measles Immunity Status of Greek Population After the Outbreak in 2017-2018: Results From a Seroprevalence National Survey

“…We found no statistically significant difference in seroprevalence against measles between females and males and to our knowledge, sex differences regarding immunization coverage have not been suggested with the exception of one study which showed significantly higher vaccination coverage in females [18].…”

“…However, a second dose is recommended for all children, which is essential to immunize the approximately 15% of them who do not develop protective immunity after their first dose [5]. A vaccination coverage >95% was also found via Child Vaccination Booklet in another published study conducted in the academic year 2020-2021 on health science undergraduate students, aged 18-30 years old [18]. However, studies based on vaccination certifications of specific social groups may overestimate the immunity levels and gives the false impression of an ideal seroepidemiological status.…”

“…A significant heterogeneity in vaccination coverage is observed between different population samples. A recent study conducted in 2020-2021 estimated that MMR coverage among undergraduate Health Science students is about 96.1%, while a national survey conducted in 2017 found very low vaccination coverage on Roma children based on vaccination document; 47.9% of them were vaccinated with one MMR dose and only 7.6% with two doses [18] [19].…”

Measles Immunity Status of Greek Population after the Outbreak in 2017–2018: Results from a Seroprevalence National Survey

“…We found no statistically significant difference in seroprevalence against measles between females and males, and to our knowledge, sex differences regarding immunization coverage have not been suggested, with the exception of one study that showed significantly higher vaccination coverage in females [18]. Among seropositive individuals, as said before, a significant difference was observed between those younger than 40 years old and older individuals.…”

“…However, a second dose is recommended for all children, which is essential to immunize the approximately 15% of them who do not develop protective immunity after their first dose [5]. Vaccination coverage of >95% was also found via the Child Vaccination Booklet in another published study conducted in the academic year 2020-2021 on health science undergraduate students aged 18-30 years old [18]. However, studies based on vaccination certifications of specific social groups may overestimate the immunity levels and provides the false impression of an ideal seroepidemiological status.…”