Medical College of Wisconsin
CTSICores SearchResearch InformaticsREDCap

Parental refusal of varicella vaccination and the associated risk of varicella infection in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010 Jan;164(1):66-70

Date

01/06/2010

Pubmed ID

20048244

DOI

10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.244

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-73449099646 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   73 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To quantify both the individual-level and attributable risk of varicella infection requiring medical care in children whose parents refuse varicella immunizations.

DESIGN: Matched case-control study with conditional logistic regression analysis.

SETTING: Kaiser Permanente of Colorado (KPCO) health plan between 1998 and 2008.

PARTICIPANTS: Each pediatric physician-diagnosed case of varicella (n = 133) was matched to 4 randomly selected controls (n = 493). Cases were matched by age, sex, and length of enrollment in KPCO. Main Exposures Varicella vaccine refusal.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Varicella infection.

RESULTS: There were 7 varicella vaccine refusers (5%) among the cases and 3 (0.6%) among the controls. Children of parents who refused varicella immunizations were at a greatly increased risk of varicella infection requiring medical care (odds ratio, 8.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-33.3) compared with children of parents who accepted vaccinations (P = .004). In the entire KPCO pediatric population, 5% of varicella cases were attributed to parental vaccine refusal.

CONCLUSIONS: Children of parents who refuse varicella immunizations are at high risk of varicella infection relative to vaccinated children. These results will be helpful to health care providers and parents when making decisions about immunizing children.

Author List

Glanz JM, McClure DL, Magid DJ, Daley MF, France EK, Hambidge SJ

Author

David L. McClure PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Case-Control Studies
Chickenpox
Chickenpox Vaccine
Child
Child, Preschool
Colorado
Female
Humans
Incidence
Infant
Male
Parents
Treatment Refusal
Vaccination