Nephrologists need to play a key role in improving annual influenza vaccination rates in children with kidney disease

Oded Scheuerman*, Eyal Zilber, Miriam Davidovits, Gabriel Chodick, Itzhak Levy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Aim: This study investigated the under-researched area of annual influenza vaccination rates in children with chronic kidney disease and identified reasons for nonimmunisation. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the nephrology clinic and dialysis unit of a tertiary paediatric medical centre from August to October 2011 and September to October 2012. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire on their child's immunisation against influenza. Results: Of the 217 children studied, 45.6% were vaccinated against influenza. The major reason for nonimmunisation was because the parents had not received the necessary information from the primary physician or treating nephrologist. The nonvaccinated children were significantly more likely to be less than two years old and female and to have parents who did not believe in the benefits of vaccination (p < 0.05). Of the parents who did not vaccinate their child, 38% claimed they would have done so if the vaccine had been offered in the nephrology clinic. Conclusion: Children with kidney disease had a higher annual influenza vaccination rate than the general population, but it was still suboptimal. Nephrologists should be alerted to the need to provide parents with information on influenza vaccinations and they should be available in nephrology clinics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)812-818
Number of pages7
JournalActa Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics
Volume106
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2017

Keywords

  • Immunisation
  • Influenza
  • Kidney disease
  • Nephrologists
  • Vaccination

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