Lack of perceived need was the most common parental reason for not vaccinating children for influenza, according to a recent case-control study. Most patients (131/140) from a pediatric practice who were tested for influenza during the 2012-2013 season were enrolled, with influenza-negative tested cases (n=65) and negative controls (n=110) closely age matched to 55 test-positive cases and compared with influenza-positive cases (n=66) regarding prior influenza, vaccine efficacy, and limited vaccine season conflicting with birth dates. Researchers found:

• Lack of perceived need was the most common parental reason for non-vaccination.
• History of previous influenza was significantly associated with disease.
• Live attenuated vaccine rates were greater in controls than in influenza patients for ages 2 to 18 years and for ages 6 to 18 years; whereas injectable vaccines rates were not.
• Most positive cases (59%) and controls (89%) had no prior influenza.