Monroe COunty School Kids Influenza Prevention Project
Monroe COunty School Kids Influenza Prevention Project
Purpose of the study. The purpose of the project is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and cost effectiveness of providing influenza vaccine in schools to children in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade.
Hypothesis 1: School based influenza vaccination (SIV) will increase the overall rate of influenza vaccination in school children.
Hypothesis 2: Higher intensity parent notification about school based influenza vaccination does not increase immunization rates compared to low intensity.
Hypothesis 3: School based vaccination from the perspective of mass vaccinators is cost neutral.
Background. The ACIP (American Committee on Immunization Practices) has now recommended influenza vaccination for all children 6 months to 18 years of age. While many school-aged children will be vaccinated in the medical home, the large number of children for whom the vaccine is now recommended exceeds the capacity of many primary care settings. Schools have been recommended as potential sites for influenza vaccination, yet little is known about the feasibility, implementation requirements, costs, or effectiveness of school-based influenza vaccination (SIV) programs. This project will implement and rigorously evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, billing and reimbursement components, costs, cost-effectiveness, and overall effectiveness of an SIV program that targets diverse populations and different intensity of interventions.
Inclusion Criteria:
Children in grades K through 5 enrolled in schools that agreed to participate in the randomized trial of school based influenza vaccine
Exclusion Criteria:
Children and schools not enrolled in school based influenza vaccine program Children in participating schools in grades other than Kindergarten through 5th grade.
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