350 - Identifying Reasons for Continued Pediatric Influenza Vaccination

Fewer than 64% of children receive an influenza (flu) vaccine in any given year, with even fewer vaccinated annually as recommended by national guidelines. Understanding why parents inconsistently vaccinate their children against flu is important as this group may be more amenable to interventions supporting annual vaccination than those who never vaccinate.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and correlates of pediatric flu vaccine uptake in the 2021-2022 influenza season among parents who had gotten the flu vaccine for their children in at least one prior season.

Design/Methods: An online survey study was conducted among a convenience sample of English-speaking parents of U.S. children ages 30 months and older with commercial coverage from a regional non-profit insurer. We included parents who reported that their child received a flu vaccine in the 2020-2021 season and provided data on flu vaccination in the following season (2021-2022). Multivariable logistic regression was used to model receipt of flu vaccination in the 2021-2022 flu season, controlling for approach to flu vaccination, vaccine confidence, and reasons for vaccinating in the prior season (2020-2021). Inconsistent vaccinators were defined as those who reported that their general approach to flu vaccination was to vaccinate in some years but not others or in the past but not planning to do so again.

Results: Of the 327 eligible parents surveyed, 85% reported that their child received a flu vaccine in the 2021-2022 flu season. Vaccination was more likely in the 2021-2022 flu season if parents reported high vaccine confidence (OR 4.97, 95% CI 1.58-15.69), and less likely among parents reporting that they vaccinated against flu in some years but not others (OR 0.004, 95% CI 0.00-0.04) or had in the past but would never do so again (OR 0.001, 95% CI 0.00-0.02). Vaccination in 2021-2022 was also less likely if parents said school/daycare requirements were a reason for vaccinating in the prior season (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.06-0.66). Over one-third (40%) of inconsistent vaccinators reported that the primary reason for vaccination in the 2021-2022 season was concern that the child would become sick if infected with flu.

Conclusion(s): Even among prior vaccinators, subsequent flu vaccination of children can vary based on vaccine confidence, perception of child’s risk of getting sick, and school mandates. Consistent school policies and messaging around children’s risk of flu could help improve vaccination rates among inconsistent vaccinators.