Using "pop-up" clinics and live-attenuated influenza vaccine to reduce barriers to flu vaccination among college students
<b>Background:</b> College students have cited inconvenience, ease of forgetting, and lack of time as barriers to influenza (flu) vaccine receipt. We hypothesized that "pop-up" clinics and live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) would facilitate delivery and align with preferences of college students. <b>Methods:</b> During the 2023-2024 flu season, undergraduate participants were recruited to receive LAIV at 5 "pop-up" clinics across a large midwestern campus. Individuals who received LAIV were approached to complete a Likert-scale survey asking about their experience. <b>Results:</b> Across all clinics, 337 individuals received LAIV and 129 completed the survey. Respondents reported that "pop-up" clinics decreased barriers to vaccination. Regarding LAIV acceptance, 44.2% noted a preference for LAIV while 46.5% noted no preference between intranasal and injectable vaccines. Importantly, over 27% of students stated they would not have received vaccine without this "pop-up" clinic option. <b>Conclusion(s):</b> "Pop-up" clinics and LAIV effectively alleviate barriers to facilitate flu vaccination for college students.
Authors
- Leena B. Mithal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1070-5306)
- Casey Benzaken
- Ravi R. Jhaveri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9921-0419)
- Tina Q. Tan
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- Lurie Children's Hospital (US)
- Lurie Children's Hospital (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of American College Health
- Published
- 2025-01-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.2439864
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.33