BCG Vaccination in Private Practice Following the Lifting of the Mandatory Vaccination Requirement. Vaccination Coverage Among Children Under Two Years of Age, Physicians’ Practices, and Parents’ Attitudes Toward Vaccination: Results of a National Survey Conducted in February–March 2008 by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, the ACTIV Association, and the Infovac-France Network
Background: Following the suspension of the mandatory BCG vaccination requirement and in light of the risk that vaccination coverage among at-risk infants might decline, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) was tasked with conducting studies on vaccination coverage. There are currently no direct sources available to enable the early identification of a potential decline in vaccination coverage. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of children vaccinated (vaccination coverage, -CV) with BCG in private practice among children for whom BCG vaccination is recommended. To describe physicians’ practices regarding BCG vaccination and parents’ attitudes toward vaccinating their children. Method: A cross-sectional survey conducted among physicians subscribed to the Infovac-France network. Each physician was required to include between 6 and 12 children aged 2–7 months and 8–23 months seen in consultation, regardless of their stance on BCG. The questionnaire was completed directly on an online platform. Adjustments were made based on physician characteristics to improve the representativeness of the sample. Data were analyzed using Stata 9.2 software. Results: A total of 285 physicians participated in the survey (participation rate of 6.5%) and included 2,356 children. Among these physicians, 67% were pediatricians and 70% practiced exclusively or primarily in private practice. The vaccination coverage among at-risk children was 73% overall. Vaccination coverage among children meeting the new BCG vaccination criteria and seeing physicians practicing exclusively in private practice was 45% among children aged 2–7 months—that is, those born after the mandatory vaccination requirement was suspended (51% in the Île-de-France region (IDF), 40% outside IDF; see table). At 7 months, coverage among these at-risk children remained below 60%, whereas it was above 70% at the same age among children born before July 2007. Among children aged 8 to 23 months—that is, those born between the discontinuation of the multi-puncture BCG vaccine and the suspension of the vaccination requirement—vaccination coverage was 81% (80% in IDF, 83% outside IDF; see table for these and subsequent figures). In the Paris region (IDF), vaccination coverage among children whose only risk factor was residing in the Paris region was 37% (2–7 months) and 64% (8–23 months). Outside the Paris region, vaccination coverage among children with one or more “objective” risk factors for vaccination was 39% (2–7 months) and 79% (8–23 months). (R.A.)
Author(s): Guthmann JP
Publishing year: 2008
Pages: 26 p.
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