MEASLES-MUMPS-RUBELLA AND HEPATITIS-B VACCINATION UPTAKE IN ADOLESCENTS - A SURVEY IN METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE

Objective: To measure the uptake of preadolescent measles-mumps-rubell a (MMR) and adolescent hepatitis B vaccinations and assess the influen ce of certain demographic factors on the uptake of these vaccines. Des ign: Prevalence surveys of uptake rates of preadolescent (school Year 6; age 10-11 years) MMR and adolescent (school Year 9; age 13-14 years ) hepatitis B vaccination. Setting: City of Darebin, an inner northern metropolitan region of Melbourne, 1996. Subjects: 1160 Year 6 school students (580 boys) and 1102 Year 9 school students (548 boys) Interve ntion: School-based vaccination program administered by Darebin Counci l. Results: 83% of Year 6 students were vaccinated with the MMR vaccin e (84.1% of girls and 81.9% of boys). 71.6% of Year 9 students complet ed the full course of hepatitis B vaccination (68.9% of boys and 74.2% of girls). There was a higher uptake of MMR in non-government primary schools, but no other demographic factors (sex, economic status, non- English-speaking background, parental education, school class size) we re associated. Conclusions: These uptake rates do not meet National He alth and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations. Further stu dy is required to determine and quantify the factors that affect vacci nation uptake in adolescence. Programs may then be developed to improv e vaccination uptake.