Vaccination of EV71 vaccine among small children and influence of willingness of their parents to vaccination

Objective To examine inoculation status of enterovirus 71(EV71)vaccine among small children and to explore influences of the willingness of their parents to receive the vaccine for promoting EV71 vaccination.Methods During the period from June to December 2016,we conducted a baseline questionnaire survey among 1 483 parents of children aged 6-35 months recruited at vaccination clinics of 5 communities of Haizhu district of Guangzhou city and a follow-up survey among 1 113 of the parents 4 months after the implementation of EV71 vaccination.Status of EV71 vaccination and influences of the parents' different willingness to receive the vaccination were analyzed.Results The proportion of the parents reporting the willingness to their children's EV71 vaccination at the baseline and follow-up survey were 81.39% and 83.47%.The EV71 vaccination rate was 67.30% for the children of the 1 113 parents being followed-up and the rate was significantly different from the rate of willing to have the vaccination in the parents (χ²=78.433,P=0.000).The parents with following considerations were more likely to have their children to receive EV71 vaccination:being sure or unclear about the safety of the vaccine,believing that the probability of preventing from hand,foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by EV71 vaccination is 70% or greater or being not sure about the probability,and taking a doctor's advice on EV71 vaccination of their children (P＜0.05 for all);whereas the parents of the children with HFMD history and those knowing the association of EV71 with EV71 infection (both P＜0.05)were not likely to have their children to receive the vaccination.Among the parents reporting the willingness to EV71 vaccination of their children,being sure or unclear about the safety of the vaccine (odds ratioOR_{very safe vs.unsafe}=5.264,OR_{general safe vs.unsafe}=3.757,OR_{unknown vs.unsafe}=1.582)were promotion factors for their children's EV71 vaccination;while,considering EV71 vaccine being expensive (OR_{expensive vs.cheap}=0.543),being clear about the relationship between EV71 infection and HFMD (OR_{clear vs.unclea}=0.544,OR_{somewhat clear vs unclearly}=0.731) was a hindering factor.Among the parents reporting the unwillingness to EV71 vaccination of their children,taking a doctor's advice on EV71 vaccination (OR_{absolutely vs.hardly}=3.074,OR_{generally vs.hardly}=1.836)and being affected by friends or peers (OR_{to a great extent vs.to a small extent}=2.445)were promotion factors for their children's EV71 vaccination;whereas,being clear about the relationship between EV71 infection and HFMD (OR_{clear vs.unclea}r=0.416) was a hindering factor.Conclusion The parents' recognition on the efficiency and safety of EV71 vaccine,the relationship between EV71 infection and HFMD,and a doctors' advice are important factors influencing EV71 vaccination among small children.