VACCINATION COVERAGE FOR MEASLES, MUMPS AND RUBELLA IN ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS IN GELDERLAND, THE NETHERLANDS

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VACCINATION COVERAGE FOR MEASLES, MUMPS AND RUBELLA IN ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS IN GELDERLAND, THE NETHERLANDS

Eur J Public Health. 2014 Nov 17. pii: cku178. [Epub ahead of print]

Klomp JH¹, van Lier A², Ruijs WL³.

Author information

¹1 Public health service (GGD) Gelderland-Zuid, Nijmegen, The Netherlands jklomp@ggdgelderlandzuid.nl.
²2 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
³2 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands 3 Academic Collaborative Centre AMPHI, Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Abstract below; full text available to journal subscribers

BACKGROUND:

Social clustering of unvaccinated children in anthroposophical schools occurs, as inferred from various measles outbreaks that can be traced to these schools. However, accurate vaccination coverage data of anthroposophical schools are not widely available.

METHODS:

In 2012, we performed a survey to estimate the vaccination coverage in three different grades of 11 anthroposophical schools in Gelderland, The Netherlands. We also gauged the opinion on childhood vaccination of the parents and compared these with the results of a national survey. In 2014, we were also able to obtain the registered total vaccination coverage per school from the national vaccination register to compare this with our survey data.

RESULTS:

The self-reported MMR vaccination coverage (2012) in the three grades of the schools in our study was 83% (range 45-100% per school). The registered total vaccination coverage (2014) was 78% (range 59-88% per school). The 95% confidence intervals of the two different vaccination coverages overlap for all schools. The parents in this study were less convinced about the beneficial effect of vaccinations and more worried about the possible side effects of vaccination compared with parents in general.

CONCLUSION:

Despite high overall vaccination coverage, the WHO goal to eliminate measles and rubella will not easily be achieved when social clustering of unvaccinated children in anthroposophical schools remains.