Determinants of vaccination coverage for children and teenagers

Abstract

The official vaccinal program is updated every year. Nevertheless, the observed vaccination coverage does not correspond to the recommended program.

Objective: Our objective was to identify factors influencing vaccinal practice, especially for hepatitis B.

Method: We sent a questionnaire to two medical populations of the French Loire subdivision: 100 randomly chosen general practitioners, and 53 pediatricians and physicians working for public office for mother and childcare.

Results: The updated official recommendations were considered as the reference document for both populations. The study did not reveal any hesitation or lack of information, which could explain the low hepatitis B vaccinal coverage. Eighty-five percent of questioned physicians claimed having changed their practice, thanks to the easy use of Infanrix Hexa®, probably explaining the current improvement of hepatitis B vaccinal coverage rate.