A Pilot Study for Evaluating a Nation-Wide School-Based Influenza Vaccination Program in Taiwan
Resource
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES v.12 SUPPL. 1 pp.E142-E 142
Journal
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Pages
e142
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
CHUANG, JEN-HSIANG
LEE, PING-ING
SU, WEI-JU
LIU, MING-TSAN
LIU, YU-LUN
Abstract
Background: Epidemic influenza causes serious mortality and morbidity in temperate, subtropical, and tropical countries annually. Recent studies show that school-age children are the major spreaders of influenza transmission, and also strong evidences prove that vaccinating schoolchildren against influenza is the cost-effective way to reduce influenza-related morbidity among children and their households. Thus, Taiwan CDC has decided to provide the flu shots focusing on first and second grade students in the entire country since November 1, 2007. The aims of this pilot study were to assess the feasibility of a school-based influenza vaccination program and to evaluate the impacts on the households. Methods: During fall 2007, we recruited 8 elementary schools from four counties/cities including 4 intervention schools assigned to vaccinate all students and 4 control schools only on first and second grade students. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents of the children who participated in this study. All households with children included in this study were surveyed by a weekly diary to record influenza-like illness (ILI). School nurses were trained to collect a small validation set of throat swabs from the children with acute ILI symptoms. Results: There were 3,784 students (57% of the 6,671 students in 8 schools) participating in this study. The vaccine coverage for the intervention and control schools were 45% and 19% respectively. By February 1 2008, 96 throat swabs had been collected, and 6 of them were positive for influenza virus. Since the study is still ongoing, the weekly diary and throat swabs will be collected until the end of April, 2008. Further results for the impacts on the households will be analyzed and discussed later. Conclusion: Lessons learned from this pilot study will provide further guidance for evaluating the school-based influenza vaccination study in 2008-2009 season.
SDGs
Type
journal article