ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate vaccination coverage among foreign children living in an urban area of Gunma Prefecture, Japan and to examine their parents' views concerning the local immunization services. METHODS: A total of 321 foreign children aged 6 to 18 years in five international schools participated in school health examinations and provided vaccination information. Among the parents, 304 completed a questionnaire on their views about the immunization services. Another questionnaire survey was conducted in nursery schools for parents of 4629 Japanese children aged 0 to 6 years. Of the total, 3811 (82.3%) responded, and 2911 questionnaires answered by the parents who had children aged 3 years and older were eligible for the analysis. RESULTS: The study found a vaccination coverage of 86.2% for diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP), 86.5% for poliovirus vaccine, and 87.7% for BCG among the foreign children. Of their parents, 84% were born in Brazil. One third of the foreign children vaccinated for DTP, poliovirus and/or BCG had received each vaccine in Japan, while the others children had been vaccinated in their home countries. Among 162 parents with children immunized in Japan, 77% received the necessary information about immunization services from the local municipal office, and 80% had no major problems. However, 15% felt the language barrier. Among the Japanese children, non-vaccination rates for DTP, poliovirus vaccine, and BCG were 18.5%, 9.9%, and 3.5%, respectively. Of the Japanese parents, 85% knew immunization schedules from the municipal office, and 51% asked for night-time and holiday vaccination sites. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that vaccination coverage for DTP, poliovirus vaccine or BCG is relatively high among foreign children living in Japan. To promote higher rates of vaccination for those residents, however, accessibility of the municipal consultation services in foreign languages should be im-proved.
