Validity of Measles Immunization Certificates and Perception of General Practitioners Concerning Immunization Certificate

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In Korea, the law reguires submission of immunization certificate to elementary school on admission since 2001 in order to prevent measles outbreaks such as those that occurred in the year 2000 and 2001. As a result, the submission rate of immunization certificate has been almost 99%. To that effect it seems to have been a very successful policy. But the validity and accuracy of such certificates have not been guestioned. This study aimed to assess the validity of the measles immunization certificates and general practitioners' perception of the law to submit immunization certificate. METHODS: A postal survey was conducted from April to May 2005 among general practitioners who were pediatricians and family physicians. The main questions were the method to confirm childrens' past vaccination and the proportion of doing booster vaccination, and also their opinions on governments' policy to extend the submission of immunization certificate on school admission. RESULTS: The total study subjects were 840. The proportion of issued immunization certificates based on exact vaccination records or booster vaccination was 98.7%. The opinions concerning the law to submit immunization certificates were very necessary (88.8%), and should include all children basic immunization (62.8%). On the other hand, the most common reason against the law was that they did not feel the necessity (31.4%). CONCLUSION: The validity of immunization certificates was very high. The opinions concerning the law to submit immunization certificates were favorable in most subjects. And mutual understanding between the general practitioners and the government is in demand before the law to submit immunization certificates becomes effect.