Immunisation: are parents making informed decisions?

In some countries childhood immunisation is compulsory but in the United Kingdom the decision on whether or not to immunise is made by the child's parents. Fears about the safety of vaccines have been exacerbated by media stories and information on the internet which parents may not be able to interpret appropriately. This has contributed to the uptake of MMR in the UK falling to below 90 per cent. To support parental decision making, healthcare professionals should be listening carefully to parental concerns, understanding their perspective and discussing both positive and negative information with them.