PRIMARY IMMUNIZATIONS IN LIVERPOOL .1. WHO WITHHOLDS CONSENT

The association between parents in Liverpool consenting to their child ren being invited for primary immunisations and five sociodemographic factors, namely sex, position of child in the family, family type, mig ration into Liverpool since birth, and local deprivation was examined. Rates of consent to invitation were over 97% for each antigen except pertussis, which had a consent rate of 83%. Consent to invitation for pertussis vaccine was least likely to have been given for boys, childr en with older siblings, those recorded as living with a single parent, and those in the most deprived areas. Local deprivation also had an e ffect on consent to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Migration into Liverpool had a significant effect on consent to invitation for all antigens except pertussis. The child's sex, family type, and local deprivation had no effect on consent to diphtheria, tetanus, and poli o immunisations. Maximising pertussis vaccine uptake will require more attention to be paid to those parents who have been identified as bei ng less likely to give consent. It is particularly important that cons istent and clear advice about immunisations is made available to paren ts with two or more children, lone parents, and those living in materi ally deprived areas. Our findings challenge some of the assumption und erlying the principles of 'first parent visiting', at least so far as pertussis is concerned.