Knowledge, perception, and practice regarding meningococcal vaccination in infants 3–7 months of age: A nationwide cross-sectional study in China

IF 4.5 3区医学 Q2 IMMUNOLOGY

Vaccine Pub Date : 2025-07-25 DOI:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127542

Yilan Xia , Xiang Guo , Xiaoya Fu , Fengge Wang , Yihan Lu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Meningococcal serogroup distribution evolves globally. In China, meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV)-A is included in the National Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) for infants at 6 months of age, while meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines (MPCV)-AC/ACYW are classified as non-EPI (self-paid) vaccines administered starting at 3 months of age. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, perception, and practice of meningococcal vaccines among healthcare practitioners (HCPs) at points of vaccination (POVs) and caregivers of infants aged 3–7 months.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January 2023 and December 2024 across 29 provinces in China. A total of 5069 HCPs at POVs and 148,269 caregivers of infants aged 3–7 months were enrolled. Structured questionnaires were distributed to collect data on vaccine knowledge, perception, preferences, and vaccination practice.

Findings

Most HCPs (91·9 %) acknowledged the substantial burden of meningococcal disease. However, 99·4 % of HCPs reported uncertainty in meningococcal disease prevention, primarily due to insufficient public awareness (85·3 %). When selecting self-paid meningococcal vaccines, HCPs prioritized protective efficacy (73·1 %) and serogroup coverage (70·5 %), aligning with the priorities of caregivers choosing MPCV-ACYW (78·2 %). Conversely, caregivers choosing MPSV-A or MPCV-AC prioritized safety (42·2 % and 50·6 %, respectively) and cost-effectiveness (52·6 % and 42·7 %, respectively). Moreover, caregivers reported infants receiving the MPCV-ACYW experienced milder irritability and crying, and exhibited better overall safety and tolerability, compared to MPCV-AC (each p < 0·001). Additionally, 35·4 % of infants received simultaneous administration of their first-dose meningococcal vaccine and other vaccines. Simultaneous administration patterns of meningococcal vaccines and other vaccines differed by age and vaccine type.

Interpretation

This study is the first to systematically determine the perceptions and practices of meningococcal vaccination from both HCPs and caregivers across provinces in China. Most HCPs acknowledged the necessity of early meningococcal vaccination and MPCV-ACYW effectiveness. The findings indicate a need to strengthen public awareness of meningococcal disease, implement tailored health advocacy, and promote multivalent meningococcal vaccines.

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关于3-7月龄婴儿脑膜炎球菌疫苗接种的知识、认知和实践：中国一项全国性横断面研究

背景：脑膜炎球菌血清群分布在全球范围内不断演变。在中国，脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗(MPSV)-A被纳入6月龄婴儿的国家扩大免疫规划（EPI），而脑膜炎球菌多糖结合疫苗(MPCV)-AC/ACYW被归类为从3月龄开始接种的非EPI（自费）疫苗。本研究旨在调查在接种点（pov）的保健医生（HCPs）和3-7个月婴儿的护理人员中脑膜炎球菌疫苗的知识、认知和实践。方法于2023年1月至2024年12月在中国29个省份进行横断面调查。共有5069名pov的HCPs和148,269名3-7个月婴儿的看护人被纳入研究。分发结构化问卷，收集有关疫苗知识、认知、偏好和疫苗接种实践的数据。大多数HCPs（90.9%）承认存在脑膜炎球菌病的沉重负担。然而，99.4%的HCPs报告了脑膜炎球菌病预防方面的不确定性，主要是由于公众意识不足（85.3%）。在选择自费脑膜炎球菌疫苗时，医护人员优先考虑保护效果（73.1%）和血清组覆盖率（77.5%），与护理人员优先选择MPCV-ACYW（78.2%）保持一致。相反，选择mpv - a或MPCV-AC的护理人员优先考虑安全性（分别为42.2%和50.6%）和成本效益（分别为52.6%和42.7%）。此外，护理人员报告说，与MPCV-AC相比，接受MPCV-ACYW的婴儿表现出较轻的易怒和哭泣，并且表现出更好的总体安全性和耐受性(每p <；0·001)。此外，35.4%的婴儿同时接种了第一剂脑膜炎球菌疫苗和其他疫苗。同时接种脑膜炎球菌疫苗和其他疫苗的方式因年龄和疫苗类型而异。本研究首次系统地确定了中国各省医护人员和护理人员对脑膜炎球菌疫苗接种的认知和实践。大多数卫生保健人员承认早期接种脑膜炎球菌疫苗的必要性和MPCV-ACYW的有效性。研究结果表明，需要加强公众对脑膜炎球菌病的认识，实施有针对性的卫生宣传，并推广多价脑膜炎球菌疫苗。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Vaccine 医学-免疫学

CiteScore

8.70

自引率

5.50%

发文量

992

审稿时长

131 days

期刊介绍： Vaccine is unique in publishing the highest quality science across all disciplines relevant to the field of vaccinology - all original article submissions across basic and clinical research, vaccine manufacturing, history, public policy, behavioral science and ethics, social sciences, safety, and many other related areas are welcomed. The submission categories as given in the Guide for Authors indicate where we receive the most papers. Papers outside these major areas are also welcome and authors are encouraged to contact us with specific questions.