title: Parents' preferences for seasonal influenza vaccine for their children in Japan.
abstract: In Japan, trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine is the only approved influenza vaccine. It is typically administrated by hypodermic injection, and children under 13 years of age are recommended to be vaccinated two times during each winter season. Live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is administered by a thimerosal-free nasal spray. If LAIV is approved in the future in Japan, parents will have an alternative type of influenza vaccine for their children. This study investigated parents' preference for the type of seasonal influenza vaccine for their children if alternatives are available. The marginal willingness to pay for vaccine benefits was also evaluated. We conducted a discrete choice experiment, a quantitative approach that is often used in healthcare studies, in January 2013. Respondents were recruited from a registered online survey panel, and parents with at least one child under 13 years of age were offered questionnaires. This study showed that for seasonal influenza vaccines for their children, parents are more likely to value safety, including thimerosal-free vaccines and those with a lower risk of adverse events, instead of avoiding the momentary pain from an injection. If LAIV is released in Japan, the fact that it is thimerosal-free could be an advantage. However, for parents to choose LAIV, they would need to accept the slightly higher risk of minor adverse events from LAIV.
authors: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1 Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo 204-8588, Japan. Electronic address: shono@my-pharm.ac.jp.
authors: Aiko
authors: A
authors: Shono
authors: Department of Health Care Policy and Health Economics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058577, Japan. Electronic address: mkondo@md.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D057240:Patient Preference; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013849:Thimerosal; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D013849:Thimerosal
keywords: Discrete choice experiment; Seasonal influenza vaccine; Stated preference; Willingness to pay