Despite clinical evidence suggesting that children are at higher risk for pandemic influenza A(H1N1) complications, only 40% of parents surveyed said they plan to have their children vaccinated against that strain of the flu.
The survey, conducted by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, also found that 54% of parents intended to have their children vaccinated against the regular seasonal flu.
The survey shows that many parents don't grasp the full implications of pandemic flu's possible effect on children, Dr. Matthew M. Davis wrote in the survey report.
“In both their intentions to vaccinate children and their comparisons of H1N1 and seasonal flu, many parents do not feel that H1N1 is a significant health threat,” wrote Dr. Davis of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “Nearly one-half of parents who do not plan to vaccinate their children indicated that they were not worried about their children getting H1N1 disease; nearly one in five believed that H1N1 flu is not a serious disease.”
The survey cohort comprised 1,678 adult parents; the sample was then weighted to reflect population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Although 40% of parents said they were definitely or probably going to have their children vaccinated against pandemic flu, 29% said that they definitely or probably would not have their children vaccinated.
Most of these (56%) said they were worried about side effects of the vaccine. Other reasons for declining included not being concerned that their children would get H1N1 influenza (46%); that medication can treat the flu, rendering vaccination unnecessary (42%); too much hassle to get two vaccine doses (30%); their school or day care provider doesn't require the vaccination (25%); worry about the vaccine's cost (23%); and the belief that H1N1 is not a serious disease (20%).
Parents who planned to have their children vaccinated held the converse views, with most believing that pandemic flu is a serious disease (83%) and 80% being worried that their children will contract it.
A racial/ethnic breakdown of the results showed that Hispanic parents were far more likely than white or black parents to plan on having their children vaccinated against pandemic flu (52% vs. 38% and 30%, respectively). This was a “notable finding,” Dr. Davis said. “It may reflect a higher perceived risk among Hispanics, given the well-publicized outbreak of H1N1 flu in Mexico in early 2009.”
The survey also asked parents to compare the perceived risks of H1N1 with those of seasonal flu. About half of the respondents said the two flus will be comparable in the number of children who catch it, the number who will need to be hospitalized, and the number of school days children will miss. About a third said that H1N1 will be worse than seasonal flu in all those ways, and 20% said seasonal flu will be worse.
Dr. Davis suggested that health care providers can help parents understand the risk that H1N1 flu may present to their children. “Health care providers must play a critical role in ensuring that parents understand the risks of H1N1 flu illness and H1N1 flu vaccination, and that children have adequate and timely access to the vaccine,” he wrote.
To see the full report, visit www.med.umich.edu/mott/npch/pdf/092409report.pdf