Widening inequalities in MMR vaccine uptake rates among ethnic groups in an urban area of the UK during a period of vaccine controversy (1994–2000)

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 25; no. 43; pp. 7516 - 7519
• Main Authors: Hawker, Jeremy I, Olowokure, Babatunde, Wood, Annette L, Wilson, Richard C, Johnson, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 23.10.2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: African Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Allergy and Immunology; Applied microbiology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Autism; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Children & youth; Ethnic group; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunization; Immunization Programs - organization & administration; Immunization Programs - utilization; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - administration & dosage; Microbiology; MMR vaccine; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - ethnology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Population Surveillance; Studies; United Kingdom; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Vaccination - psychology; Vaccination - statistics & numerical data; Vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); United Kingdom > UK; Ethnic group; MMR vaccine; Children; Human; Vaccine; Child; Uptake
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.08.043

Abstract We examined MMR vaccine uptake among ethnic groups in Birmingham, UK between 1994 and 2000, a period incorporating adverse MMR vaccine publicity. From 1994 to 2000 overall uptake: (1) fell significantly from 91.1% in 1994 to 89.8% ( χ2 for trend p < 0.001) in 2000, (2) in Asian children significantly increased ( χ2 for trend p < 0.001), and (3) in White children significantly decreased ( χ2 for trend p < 0.001). Differences between ethnic groups with the highest (Asian) and the lowest (Black Caribbean) uptake rates increased from 2.1% in 1994 ( p = ns) to 6.8% in 2000 ( p < 0.001). This study suggests underlying ethnic inequalities in MMR vaccine uptake and differential response to adverse vaccine publicity.