Knowledge and attitudes of influenza vaccination among parents of preschool children in a region with avian influenza (H5N1)

摘要

Influenza in tropical countries occurs year round, and young children are an identified high-risk group for infection. In Thailand, 64 to 91 cases of influenza per 100,000 population are estimated to occur annually.Despite these attack rates, less than 1 % of Thai people receive influenza immunization.2 A high rate of colds and upper respiratory tract infections (110-130 episodes per month) at a private preschool program prompted our qualitative assessment of baseline parental knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza immunization of at-risk children in a country with known avian