Self-reported measles vaccination coverage among medical and pharmacy students at Aix-Marseille University: reasons for non-vaccination, Marseille, France, 2013
France has recently been affected by a measles outbreak involving healthcare professionals. In 2013, a cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and pharmacy residents at the University of Aix-Marseille to assess measles vaccination coverage (VC) and identify factors that do or do not promote this vaccination. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed during the selection of rotations for medical residents and via email for pharmacy residents. In total, 61% of medical residents and 40% of pharmacy residents participated in the survey. In medicine, measles vaccination coverage was 93% for one dose and 76% for two doses; in pharmacy, these rates were 94% and 82%, respectively. Residents who had not received two doses of the measles vaccine cited lack of time, lack of interest, or forgetting to get vaccinated as the main reasons for incomplete vaccination. Vaccinated individuals cited ease of access to vaccination more often than unvaccinated individuals as an important factor in keeping their vaccinations up to date. Measles vaccination coverage with two doses was below the 95% threshold recommended in France. It appears necessary to mobilize school health services and university medical services to improve students’ vaccination coverage, in accordance with the new vaccination schedule, and to ensure the vaccination of individuals who have not received at least two doses of the trivalent measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Occupational health services could play a more active role in improving vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Succo T, Korhonen T, Neveu A, Armengaud A, Six C, Danis K, Malfait P
Publishing year: 2015
Pages: 506-12
Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2015, n° 28, p. 506-12
In relation to
Our latest news
news
2026 “Sexual Behavior” Survey (ERAS) for men who have sex with men
news
Hervé Maisonneuve has been appointed scientific integrity officer for a...
news