Gilroy James, O'Leary Maureen, Domegan Lisa, O'Connor Lois, Horne Caralyn, Keegan Aparna, Quinn Alice, Hayes Eimear, Marron Louise
Public Health, HSE, Ireland.
Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HSE, Ireland.
Vaccine. 2025 Aug 30;62:127467. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127467. Epub 2025 Jul 4.
Influenza vaccination is an important and effective public health intervention. Since 2020, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has been available for children in Ireland, provided in the community in primary care. However, vaccine uptake has been suboptimal. Offering influenza vaccination in schools has improved uptake in other countries. In the 2023/24 influenza season, LAIV was offered in schools in Ireland, to targeted school year groups.
To evaluate the LAIV schools programme in the 2023/24 influenza season in Ireland, by estimating vaccine uptake and identifying factors associated with vaccine uptake.
We conducted a cross-sectional study. Mobile school vaccination teams collected demographic and vaccine uptake data. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses examined if school type, school size and programme resources were associated with differences in vaccine uptake.
Offering LAIV to children in target school year groups in 1537 schools in Ireland resulted in a mean vaccine uptake of 49.3 %, compared to the general community uptake of 16.2 % in children aged 2-17 years. Vaccine uptake was lower in schools with higher proportions of children at risk of educational disadvantage (adjusted difference in means 8.0 %, 95 % CI 5.45 %-10.5 %). Larger schools had lower vaccine uptake, with each 10-child increase in enrolment associated with a 1.2 % adjusted decrease in mean uptake (95 % CI 0.7 % to 1.8 %).
Offering LAIV in a school setting in Ireland resulted in a higher vaccine uptake than the general community uptake in children. This study supports the use of a schools-based approach for influenza vaccination. Additional supports may be required to improve uptake in children at risk of educational disadvantage and those with complex needs.
流感疫苗接种是一项重要且有效的公共卫生干预措施。自2020年以来，减毒活流感疫苗（LAIV）已在爱尔兰供儿童使用，通过初级保健在社区提供。然而，疫苗接种率一直不理想。在其他国家，在学校提供流感疫苗接种提高了接种率。在2023/24流感季节，爱尔兰在学校向目标学年群体提供了LAIV。
通过估计疫苗接种率并确定与疫苗接种相关的因素，评估2023/24流感季节爱尔兰的LAIV学校项目。
我们进行了一项横断面研究。流动学校疫苗接种团队收集了人口统计学和疫苗接种数据。单变量和多变量回归分析检验了学校类型、学校规模和项目资源是否与疫苗接种差异相关。
在爱尔兰的1537所学校向目标学年群体的儿童提供LAIV，平均疫苗接种率为49.3%，而2至17岁儿童的社区总体接种率为16.2%。在教育处于不利地位风险较高的儿童比例较高的学校中，疫苗接种率较低（调整后的均值差异为8.0%，95%置信区间为5.45%至10.5%）。规模较大的学校疫苗接种率较低，入学人数每增加10名儿童，平均接种率调整后下降1.2%（95%置信区间为0.7%至1.8%）。
在爱尔兰的学校环境中提供LAIV导致儿童疫苗接种率高于社区总体接种率。本研究支持采用基于学校的方法进行流感疫苗接种。可能需要额外的支持来提高教育处于不利地位风险儿童和有复杂需求儿童的接种率。
