S. Meleth et al., VACCINATION STATUS OF INFANTS DISCHARGED FROM A NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT, CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association journal, 153(4), 1995, pp. 415-419
Objective: To determine the vaccination rate among infants discharged
from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and factors affecting that
rate. Design: Cross-sectional survey conducted when the children were
12 to 18 months of age. Setting: NICU at the Royal University Hospital
, Saskatoon, Sask. Participants: All 395 infants discharged from the N
ICU between Jan. 1 and June 30, 1992. Main outcome measures: Vaccinati
on rate, ethnic background (native or non-native), place of residence
(urban or rural), health status (number of days spent in the NICU), re
asons for delay in or incomplete vaccinations (those involving parents
' responsibility, infant illness or contraindications). Results: Of th
e 395 infants, 20 (5.0%) had died and incomplete information was avail
able for 30 (7.6%). Complete data were available for 345 (87.3%). Of t
he infants for whom data were available, 8 (2.3%) had never been vacci
nated and 142 (41.2%) had a delayed vaccination schedule or had not co
mpleted their scheduled vaccinations. Only 195 (56.6%) of the infants
had received a full vaccination series. Non-native ethnic background w
as a predictor of completed vaccinations (odds ratio [OR] 5.40, 95% co
nfidence interval [CI] 3.05 to 9.52). In a univariate model, urban are
a of residence was not a significant predictor of vaccination status,
but when ethnic background was controlled for in a multivariate logist
ic regression analysis, urban area of residence was found to be invers
ely associated with completed vaccinations (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.
79). The number of days the child had spent in the NICU was not a sign
ificant predictor of vaccination status. Conclusion: The vaccination r
ate of infants discharged from the NICU is not optimal. Urban native c
hildren appears to be at risk of not being vaccinated. Non-native infa
nts are five times more likely than native infants to have completed a
ll of their scheduled vaccinations. Methods to improve the rate of com
pleted vaccinations, especially for native children, must be sought an
d tested.