Impact of mandatory vaccination extension on infant vaccine coverages: Promising preliminary results.

Highlights • In France the vaccination of all infants born on or after January 1, 2018 against 11 diseases has changed from a recommended to a mandatory status. • Vaccinoscopie is an annual French web-based survey targeting mothers, monitoring vaccine coverage rates (VCRs) in children as well as mothers' opinion regarding vaccination. • This study reports the positive impact of mandatory vaccination extension on VCRs and on the opinion of mothers of infants. • Among infants born after the extension of mandatory vaccination, VCRs for at least one dose at six months of age greatly increased for vaccines that previously did not meet Public Health objectives (MenC and HepB). Abstract Objective In France infant vaccines protecting against 11 diseases have changed from a recommended to a mandatory status for all children born on or after January 1, 2018. Using the Vaccinoscopie survey, we measured the impact of this new vaccination policy on vaccine coverage rates (VCRs) and on mothers' perception of vaccination. Methods Online survey with 1000 mothers of 0- to 11-month-old infants. Results VCRs for at least one dose at the age of 6 months strongly progressed for diseases that previously did not meet Public Health objectives (+8 points for Hepatitis B and +31 points for meningococcal C vaccines). Mothers were more favorable to mandatory vaccination and better informed in 2018 than in 2017. Conclusion These first results showed a positive impact of the extension of mandatory vaccination on mothers' opinion regarding vaccination and on infant VCRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]