Influenza vaccination and its influencing factors among primary/junior high school and kindergartens students in Guiyang city: a survey during influenza season

  Objective  To examine the prevalence and influencing factors of influenza vaccination among junior high and primary school children and kindergarten children in Guiyang city of Guizhou province during an influenza season.

  Methods  Using convenient sampling, we recruited 4 597 junior high/primary school and kindergarten students receiving vaccination services at 6 clinics for planned immunization in Guiyang city of Guizhou province. An online survey with a self-designed questionnaire was conducted among the students′ parents or guardians during November – December, 2020.

  Results  Among the 4 563 students with complete information, 50.14% were reported having been vaccinated against influenza, 15.76% not having been vaccinated due to lack of vaccines, 24.96% being ready to be vaccinated, and only 9.14% of the students′ parents/guardians reporting the unwillingness for their children′s influenza vaccination. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the students′ parents/guardians with following characteristics were more likely to have their children to be vaccinated against influenza: with the children in primary school (odds ratio OR = 1.705, 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.391 – 2.089), working as teachers (OR = 1.928, 95% CI: 1.003 – 3.706), working as medical staff (OR = 1.857, 95% CI: 1.076 – 3.204), believing in the effect of influenza vaccine against influenza infection (OR = 1.351, 95% CI: 1.145 – 1.593), having the knowledge about the requirement of annual influenza vaccination (OR = 1.749, 95% CI: 1.515 – 2.019), with the children ever having influenza vaccination before July 2020 (OR = 7.603, 95% CI: 6.512 – 8.877), and being worried about dual prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza (OR = 1.643, 95% CI: 1.390 – 1.942) (P < 0.05 for all).

  Conclusion  Under the circumstance of COVID-19 epidemic, the parents/guardians of junior high/primary school and kindergarten students in Guiyang city had a higher willingness for their children′s influenza vaccination in 2020 – 21 influenza season and more than a half of the students had been vaccinated by the end of December 2020. The parents′/guardians′ willingness were significantly influenced by their knowledge about influenza and influenza vaccine.