Intramuscular versus intradermal administration for influenza vaccination in college students: A pilot study

Abstract

Objective: College student populations are considered at greater risk of contracting influenza due to their close living conditions. Despite this increased risk, college students are reluctant to obtain annual vaccination. This pilot study sought to determine perceptions of students on a college campus who received the annual influenza vaccination via an intradermal route. Participants and methods: Forty-nine college students participated in the IRB approved study. After receiving the intradermal influenza vaccination, participants completed a demographic survey and vaccination perceptions questionnaire. Results: Participants were more likely to want to have an intradermal injection in the future and reported less pain with the intradermal injection. Additionally, individuals who reported greater pain with the intramuscular injection in the past were significantly more likely to want to receive an intradermal injection in the future (p < 0.019). Conclusions: Results suggest that intradermal route of vaccination may be more appealing to the college population.

Keywords:

• College health
• influenza vaccination
• intradermal vaccination
• preventative care
• vaccination routes

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Florida Southern College.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.