title: Vaccination coverage for measles, mumps and rubella in anthroposophical schools in Gelderland, The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social clustering of unvaccinated children in anthroposophical schools occurs, as inferred from various measles outbreaks that can be traced to these schools. However, accurate vaccination coverage data of anthroposophical schools are not widely available.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012, we performed a survey to estimate the vaccination coverage in three different grades of 11 anthroposophical schools in Gelderland, The Netherlands. We also gauged the opinion on childhood vaccination of the parents and compared these with the results of a national survey. In 2014, we were also able to obtain the registered total vaccination coverage per school from the national vaccination register to compare this with our survey data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The self-reported MMR vaccination coverage (2012) in the three grades of the schools in our study was 83% (range 45-100% per school). The registered total vaccination coverage (2014) was 78% (range 59-88% per school). The 95% confidence intervals of the two different vaccination coverages overlap for all schools. The parents in this study were less convinced about the beneficial effect of vaccinations and more worried about the possible side effects of vaccination compared with parents in general.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite high overall vaccination coverage, the WHO goal to eliminate measles and rubella will not easily be achieved when social clustering of unvaccinated children in anthroposophical schools remains.
authors.affiliation: 1 Public health service (GGD) Gelderland-Zuid, Nijmegen, The Netherlands jklomp@ggdgelderlandzuid.nl.
authors.forename: Judith H E
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Klomp
authors.affiliation: 2 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Lier
authors.affiliation: 2 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands 3 Academic Collaborative Centre AMPHI, Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wilhelmina L M
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ruijs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000887:Anthroposophy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine