1. Improving vaccine coverage in teenagers: Experiences from a vaccine protection trial in Norway
- Author
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Folke Sundelin, Øyvind Arnesen, Jon Ketil Grønnesby, Leif Kåre Solberg, Kari Anderson Röd, and Gunnar Bjune
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Acceptance rate ,education ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Disease ,Norwegian ,Minor (academic) ,language.human_language ,Vaccination ,Information campaign ,Family medicine ,medicine ,language ,business ,Questionnaire study - Abstract
A new vaccine against systemic meningococcal serogroup B disease showed significant protection among Norwegian teenagers. From a total 233,000 students in the country's mandatory secondary schools, 74% volunteered for the trial. We have analysed which factors were important for their decision whether or not to volunteer. A random sample of 10,000 students and all 3,000 professionals involved in the trial were subjects in a questionnaire study. Three factors had a dominant influence on the students' decision: their parents' opinion; the students' appreciation of the importance of participation; and whether their friends participated. The teachers' attitudes, the extent of information, geographic, socio-economic, and ideological factors all played a minor role in influencing the acceptance rate. Many teenagers reported fear of injections, but this fear was subject to modification by an information campaign. A 90–95% coverage rate is feasible in a vaccination programme for teenagers.
- Published
- 1994
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