Introduction
The family socioeconomic level is one factor that influences the levels of vaccination coverage in children. The objectives of this work were to compare vaccination coverages in two areas attended by our health care centre (HC) with different socioeconomic features and different patient loads and to assess the influence of paediatricians on coverages.
Methods
Our HC comprises a main centre (C1) and an auxiliary surgery (C2), attending two areas with different socioeconomic features and different patient loads. Using electronic medical records, we evaluated tetanus vaccination coverages in three age groups (G1: 2?.5 years; G2: 7?.5 years and G3: 15?5.5 years); we also evaluated varicella and pneumococcal vaccination coverages in G1 and human papilloma virus coverages in girls in G3.
Results
Vaccination coverage in G1: tetanus C1 84.7 % and C2 97.5 % (p = 0.027), pneumococcal C1 9.9 % and C2 61.2 % (p = 0.000), varicella C1 11.1 % and C2 52.5 % (p = 0.000). Vaccination coverage in G2: tetanus C1 82.1 % and C2 95.3 % (p = 0.046). Vaccination coverage in G3: tetanus C1 67 % and C2 75.6 % ; human papilloma virus C1 76.3 % and C2 95 % (p = 0.009). There were significant differences in the coverage of the tetanus, pneumococcal and human papilloma virus vaccines between paediatricians in C1. There were no differences between paediatricians in C2.
Conclusions
Most differences in vaccination coverages between the main and auxiliary centres were due to differences in the socioeconomic level and patient loads of the areas, but in C1 the management of each paediatric surgery had an influence.
