Measles-mumps-rubella and hepatitis B vaccination uptake in adolescents: a survey in metropolitan Melbourne

Objective: To measure the uptake of preadolescent measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and adolescent hepatitis B vaccinations and assess the influence of certain demographic factors on the uptake of these vaccines. Design: 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) Intervention: School-based vaccination program administered by Darebin Council. Results: 83% of Year 6 students were vaccinated with the MMR vaccine (84.1% of girls and 81.9% of boys). 71.6% of Year 9 students completed 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) were associated. Conclusions: These uptake rates do not meet National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations. Further study is required to determine and quantify the factors that affect vaccination uptake in adolescence. Programs may then be developed to improve vaccination uptake.