Parental Opinions and Approaches about Childhood Vaccinations: Are Anti-vaccination Approaches and Indecisiveness Parental Rights?

This study aimed to analyze parental opinions regarding immunization services and the factors that affect parental decisions regarding the vaccination of their children. We conducted descriptive study with 373 parents. The Parent Information Form and the Public Attitude Toward Vaccination Scale-Health Belief Model developed to evaluate vaccination approaches, were used. Of the parents who participated in the study, 35.9% stated that they found the information on childhood vaccinations unreliable or that they doubted the credibility of the information. In addition, most of the parents (71%) stated that they believed that the high number of immigrant children in the country causes contagious diseases to increase. It is found that there are statistically significant higher scores in the subscales of severity, susceptibility, and health motivation among the parents who disagree with the media statements on anti-vaccination attitudes (p < 0,001). Opinions and approaches of parents toward childhood vaccinations are affected by sociodemographic characteristics. In this study, the educational level of parents was found to be the most important variable affecting the approach of parents toward vaccinations.

Combating antiscience: Are we preparing for the 2020s?

In the last half of the 2010s, we saw an upswing in antiscience movements and unprecedented attacks on scientists in the United States and elsewhere. All indications suggest that this trend will not slow or reverse anytime soon, and it is now increasingly apparent that it will fall to the scientists themselves to respond, engage a skeptical public, and lead the defense of science. Accordingly, we must recognize opportunities to both reorganize science doctoral and postdoctoral training and incentivize senior scientists as a means to establish a new ecosystem for science public engagement. Such activities may become essential if the assaults on our profession continue or expand. Today, the commitment of young scientists to public service is at an all-time high. However, we must work quickly to capture that enthusiasm and channel it into a social good, lest we lose this opportunity. Potentially, open-access publishers could play a central role.

Implementing vaccine hesitancy screening for targeted education.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little research has been performed investigating the effect of using a vaccine hesitancy (VH) screening tool to address specific vaccination concerns. The purpose of this study was to determine whether using a VH screening tool in conjunction with provider discussions addressing parental concerns affected the parental intent to vaccinate (ITV). METHODS: This study used a pretest/posttest design to measure and categorize VH and ITV. CONCLUSIONS: The total sample size was 89. Differences between previsit and postvisit questionnaires showed mean responses for questions that measured specific VH categories had slight increases in the level of VH. A regression analysis was conducted to predict the postvisit ITV. Questions measuring parental trust in the provider, beliefs on vaccine efficacy, and beliefs about the prevalence of vaccine preventable disease (VPD) in the community predicted 72% of the postvisit ITV responses. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The utilization of a VH screening tool used in conjunction with provider education in an educated and mildly VH population did not positively affect the level of VH or the parental ITV. Additional research should investigate the role of parental trust in the provider, beliefs on vaccine efficacy, and the prevalence of VPD in the community affect parental ITV.

We strongly support childhood immunisation-statement from the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP).

The eradication of smallpox and the elimination of several other infectious diseases from much of the world has provided convincing evidence that vaccines are among the most effective interventions for promoting health. The current scepticism about immunisation among members of the new US administration carries a risk of decreasing immunisation rates also in Europe. While only a small minority of the population are strongly anti-vaccine, their public activities have significantly influenced an uncertainty among the general population about both the safety of and the necessity for vaccination. Therefore, the EAP calls for greater publically available, scientifically supported information on vaccination, particularly targeted at health care providers, for the further development of electronically based immunisation information systems (IIS). We further call on all European countries to work together both in legislative and public health arenas in order to increase vaccination coverage among the paediatric population. In the interest of children and their parents, the EAP expresses its strong support for childhood immunisation and recommended vaccination schedules. We are prepared to work with governments and media and share the extensive evidence demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.