School `flu' vaccination campaigns require considerable resources

Inpharma 1603 - 1 Sep 2007

School ‘flu’ vaccination campaignsrequire considerable resources

Influenza vaccination campaigns in large schoolsystems can achieve coverage rates similar to those ofsmaller pilot campaigns, but require substantialamounts of time and resources to implement, accordingto US-based researchers.

The researchers evaluated a campaign* offering freeintranasal live influenza virus vaccine** to all eligiblestudents and staff members of the public school systemin Knox County, Tennessee, US; the campaign included81 schools with a total student population of 53 420,and vaccinations occurred from October to December2005. Eligible participants were students and staff aged5–49 years with no chronic medical conditions, egghypersensitivity, Guillain-Barre syndrome, asthma, orimmunosuppression. Ineligible staff members wereoffered a trivalent inactive influence virus vaccine.

24198 students (45%) received at least one dose ofintranasal vaccine; for individual schools the vaccinationrates ranged from 13% to 75%.

Health department staff and school nursing staff used4200 and 2700 person-hours, respectively, during thevaccination administration period. Health clinics andother services were closed for a total of 84 half-daysduring the vaccination campaign, resulting in around9900 patient visits being either delayed or missed.Health departments costs were $US43 000, of which$US28 000 was used for purchasing the trivalentvaccine. The remaining costs were attributable tovaccine storage equipment, dry ice, printed informationpackets, consent forms and expendable vaccineadministration equipment.†

The researchers note that "the substantial expenditureof resources necessary for this campaign might limitfeasibility in other settings".

See also Inpharma 1590 p5; 809075480* received financial support from MedImmune** donated by MedImmune† partially supported by MedImmune

Carpenter LR, et al. Mass distribution of free, intranasally administered influenzavaccine in a public school system. Pediatrics 120: e172-e178, No. 1, Jul 2007.Available from: URL: http://www.pediatrics.org 801092186

1

Inpharma 1 Sep 2007 No. 16031173-8324/10/1603-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved