A tailored COVID-19 vaccination pathway for children 5-11 years in Victoria, Australia

S F Gordon; J Lam; J T Vasquez; R Cercone; N Tenneti; J Hart; M Chisholm; M Heland; M Hoq; J Kaufman; M Danchin

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.032

A tailored COVID-19 vaccination pathway for children 5-11 years in Victoria, Australia

Vaccine. 2023 May 22;41(22):3436-3445. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.032. Epub 2023 Apr 17.

Authors

S F Gordon¹, J Lam², J T Vasquez², R Cercone², N Tenneti², J Hart², M Chisholm², M Heland², M Hoq³, J Kaufman³, M Danchin⁴

Affiliations

¹ COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Department of Health, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia; Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Department of Health, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
³ Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
⁴ COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Department of Health, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia; Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of General Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Procedural anxiety was anticipated in children 5-11 years during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Victoria, Australia, as children in this age group receive few routine vaccines. Therefore, the Victorian state government designed a tailored, child-friendly vaccine program. This study aimed to assess parental satisfaction with elements of the bespoke vaccination pathway.

Methods: The Victorian government and state-run vaccination hubs in Victoria facilitated an online immunisation plan to help parents identify their child's support needs, and utilised experienced paediatric staff and additional supports for children with severe needle distress and/or disability. All parents/guardians of children 5-11 years who received a COVID-19 vaccine in a vaccination hub were sent a 16-item feedback survey via text message.

Results: Between 9 February and 31 May 2022 there were 9203 responses; 865 children (9.4%) had a first language other than English, 499 (5.4%) had a disability or special needs, and 142 (1.5%) were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Most parents (94.4%; 8687/9203) rated their satisfaction with the program as very good or excellent. The immunisation plan was used by 13.5% (1244/9203) of respondents, with usage more common for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children (26.1%; 23/88) or families with a first language other than English (23.5%; 42/179). The child-friendly staff (88.5%, 255/288) and themed environment (66.3%, 191/288) were the most valued measures for vaccination. Additional support measures were required by 1.6% (150/9203) of children in the general population and 7.9%, (17/261) of children with a disability and/or special needs.

Conclusion: A tailored COVID-19 vaccination program for children 5-11 years, with additional support for children with severe needle distress and/or disability, had high parental satisfaction. This model could be utilised for COVID-19 vaccination in pre-school children and for routine childhood vaccination programs to provide optimal support to children and their families.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; Needle anxiety; Paediatrics; Vaccination pathways; Vaccine uptake.

MeSH terms

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
COVID-19 Vaccines*
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Vaccination
Victoria / epidemiology

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines