None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Hypotheses: The uptake of influenza vaccine provided through the Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, can be increased by providing mothers with concise information, help with completion of consent forms and other documentation necessary to utilise the CIVSS subsidy, reminders and contacts of specific CIVSS registered practitioners that do not charge fees above the HKD160 subsidy. Primary objective: To determine whether the intervention package can increase uptake of influenza vaccine in children aged 6 to 24 months. Secondary objectives: 1) To increase uptake of influenza vaccine in children. 2) To provide key messages to parents about influenza vaccination. 3) To reduce practical and financial barriers that could discourage parents from participating in CIVSS. 4) To provide timely reminders to parents to encourage them to participate in CIVSS.
Interventions
Subjects in the intervention group will receive the publically available leaflets from the Centre for Health Protection about the 2014/15 Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (CIVSS). In addition they will receive the following interventions: (i) a concise information sheet about the risks of influenza to children and importance of vaccination for the prevention of influenza after November 2014 and again in October 2015; (ii) semi-completed forms of “Consent to Use Vaccination Subsidy”
Subjects in the intervention group will receive the publically available leaflets from the Centre for Health Protection about the 2014/15 Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (CIVSS). In addition they will receive the following interventions: (i) a concise information sheet about the risks of influenza to children and importance of vaccination for the prevention of influenza after November 2014 and again in October 2015; (ii) semi-completed forms of “Consent to Use Vaccination Subsidy” and “Parent’s Consent Form”, if required, with highlighted guidelines of where to sign and a simple reminder to take these forms and the child’s birth certificate to the clinic; (iii) the contact number and address of a specific community health centre registered under CIVSS that is in reasonable proximity to their home (United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service (UCN)). This network of clinics is able to provide the vaccine (trivalent) without any additional cost and without the need for a prior appointment. The quadrivalent influenza vaccine at UCN costs HKD20 per dose above the Government’s subsidy. We will compensate for the additional HKD20 per dose of quadrivalent influenza vaccine in terms of supermarket or book coupons at the end of the study. If neither of the UCN clinics is near the subjects’ home, a list of clinics which is in reasonable proximity to their home and provide either trivalent or quadrivalent influenza vaccine without any additional cost will be provided. This information package will be delivered following the start of 2014/2015 CIVSS and again in 2015/2016 CIVSS and each will then be followed by two telephone or text message reminders about the CIVSS. The reminders will be sent one week and 1-2 months after delivery of intervention package.
Sponsors
NELSON Edmund Anthony
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
0 to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Families of children who have been enrolled in a previous cohort will be invited to participate in this study. The following criteria were used for selection of the cohort participants: (i) postpartum mothers; (ii) aged older than or equal to 18 years in 2014; (iii) Cantonese speaking; (iv) have a plan to remain in Hong Kong with the infant after delivery for at least 6 months; (v) no obvious cognitive abnormality; (vi) no serious obstetrical complications and baby is full-term (37 weeks of gestation) with no congenital abnormalities; and (vii) can provide signed informed consent. A convenience sample of women who met the inclusion criteria were invited to participate. The children eligible to participate in the study will be at 6-10 months old during recruitment. If the recruitment rate is lower than anticipated, we will recruit additional children from postnatal wards.
Exclusion criteria
Children will be excluded from this intervention study if they have already received influenza vaccination.
Outcome results
None listed