Vaccination timeliness in preterm infants.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation to determine if vaccinations are delayed in preterm infants, and the factors associated with vaccination timeliness in preterm infants.
IRAS ID
209347
Contact name
Helen Sisson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 12 months, days
Research summary
Vaccination is an important public health activity in the prevention of infections. All infants born in England are invited to be vaccinated according to an established schedule, however some evidence suggests that preterm infants (infants born before their due date - defined as being born at 37 weeks gestation or less) are not being vaccinated in a timely manner; this is a population particularly at risk of infection making this an issue worthy of further investigation. The last UK study was undertaken in 2000 (Slack & Thwaites, 2000), since which time the vaccination schedule has changed considerably, and to date, no population based studies have been undertaken in this country.
This research is a contemporary investigation of the timeliness of vaccination in preterm infants along with any factors which might be associated with vaccination timeliness. It uses data pertaining to approximately 6,000 individuals, which includes full term and preterm infants.
The research will analyse existing data, routinely collated via established databases. The datasets used are the Maternity Services data Set (MSDS), Child Health Information Service (CHIS) (for vaccination details for full term and preterm infants) and the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD) (for preterm infant details). Data from all infants in the databases between identified time points will be included in the analysis. Using existing data negates the need to access participants in person.
The findings from this research would help providers target their efforts of promoting vaccination with a view to enhancing uptake, thereby increasing protection against infection in preterm infants.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0351
Date of REC Opinion
9 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion