Families’ Opinions and Attitudes Regarding Routine and Non-Routine Childhood Vaccines

INTRODUCTION: The global increase in vaccine hesitancy is a complex phenomenon, leading to declining vaccination rates and a rise in vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. This survey aimed to assess parent’ knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards hesitations or refusals of routine and non-routine childhood vaccinations.
METHODS: Parents of children aged 6 months to 6 years who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic completed a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics (e.g., age, education, income, number of children) and their opinions and attitudes about vaccines.
RESULTS: Out of 227 parents, 72.2% were mothers and 27.8% were fathers. Acceptance rates for routine vaccinations were 99.6% (n=226), while refusal stood at 0.4% (n=1). Hesitancy towards routine vaccines was at 11% (n=25), compared to 22.4% for non-routine vaccines. The predominant reasons parents hesitated regarding routine vaccines included concerns over safety (84%) and exposure to negative comments from media and their social circles (40%). Parents cited pediatricians (83.7% for routine, 90.7% for non-routine), family medicine nurses (60.8%, 17.6%), family physicians (35.7%, 24.7%), social media (9.3% for both), and friends/neighbors (5.3%, 7.5%) as their primary sources of information.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: As vaccine hesitancy grows, concerted efforts and interventions could help mitigate its negative consequences for future generations. Physicians, especially pediatricians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, are well-positioned to educate and guide parents on early childhood immunization.