Parental perspectives on influenza vaccination in children with asthma.
BACKGROUND
Influenza is an important cause of epidemic and pandemic disease leading to mortality and morbidity in children. Despite great efforts to increase influenza vaccination, many children with chronic medical conditions do not receive influenza vaccine. Our aim was to identify the demographic factors and asthma-associated characteristics related to vaccination, caregivers' attitudes and knowledge about influenza disease during the 2007-2008 influenza season.


METHODS
Caregivers of children with asthma were surveyed via a self-administered questionnaire to document their knowledge about influenza disease and vaccine and factors influencing vaccination.


RESULTS
We enrolled 311 children with asthma. The rate of lifetime influenza vaccination was 69.5%, whereas 51.8% of the patients had been vaccinated in the current season. There were no significant differences in demographic factors and asthma control parameters between the groups who received or did not receive influenza vaccine. Most of the parents whose children were vaccinated believed that influenza vaccination would decrease the prevalence and severity of asthma attacks (P < 0.05). The most important reason cited by parents for deciding on the influenza vaccine for their child was physician recommendation (80.1%). The major reasons for declining the vaccination were unawareness that the influenza vaccine was a requirement for their child (29.3%) and illness at the time of vaccination (20%).


CONCLUSIONS
Physician recommendation is important in the influenza vaccination decision. Demographic factors and asthma control parameters had no influence on immunization uptake but parental beliefs and attitudes could be determinant. Greater effort is needed to increase influenza vaccination rates, in children with asthma.
Soyer
Ozge U
OU
Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Unit, Ankara, Turkey.
Hudaverdiyev
Samir
S
Civelek
Ersoy
E
Isik
Emregul
E
Karabulut
Erdem
E
Kocabas
Can
C
Sekerel
Bulent Enis
BE
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007252:Influenza Vaccines