Perinatal immunization education improves immunization rates and knowledge: A randomized controlled trial

• This is the first study to demonstrate the effectiveness of perinatal immunization education in Japan.
• Appropriate immunization education during the perinatal period is useful.
• Perinatal immunization education improved the immunization status of infants at three month of age.
• Perinatal immunization education improved the knowledge of mothers regarding immunization.

ObjectivesTo determine if providing perinatal immunization education positively changes the immunization status of infants, influences the infant immunization knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of mothers and affects the intent to vaccinate children in Japan where immunization education is limited.MethodsPregnant women were recruited from three sites in Tokyo, Japan and were assigned to two intervention (pre- or postnatal education) groups and a control group. The immunization status of infants was assessed and a written survey was performed before and after the intervention.ResultsAmong 119 study participants, 106 subjects replied to the post-survey. The intervention groups (34.3%) had higher immunization rates in infants at three months of age than the control group (8.3%) (P = 0.005); however, no differences were observed between the prenatal (29.4%) and postnatal groups (38.9%) (P = 0.40). The percentage of women intended to vaccinate their infants was higher in the intervention groups (61.4%) compared to the control group (33.3%) (P = 0.01). The improvement in score for basic knowledge was higher in the intervention groups, particularly in the prenatal group (mean ± S.D.: 3.4 ± 1.8) compared to the control (1.9 ± 1.9) (P = 0.003).ConclusionsPerinatal immunization education improved the immunization status of infants, increased the women's knowledge on immunization and intention to vaccinate their infants.