Parental knowledge of paediatric vaccination

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Immunization Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Routine vaccination is crucial for preventing infectious diseases, yet vaccine hesitancy exists.
• Negative parental perceptions significantly hinder pediatric vaccination efforts.
• Understanding parental knowledge is key to addressing vaccination barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate parental knowledge of pediatric vaccines and vaccination practices.
• To identify factors associated with vaccination coverage in young children.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of 630 children under 3 years old in Catalonia.
• Random sampling across all health regions.
• Parents completed questionnaires on vaccination coverage and knowledge.

Main Results:

• Higher vaccination coverage (4:4:4:3:1 schedule) correlated with maternal age over 30 and higher vaccination knowledge scores.
• Parental knowledge scores increased with educational level and in parents of vaccinated children.
• Over 20% of parents perceived potential undesirable vaccine consequences, often due to lack of specific information or concerns about adverse reactions/allergies.

Conclusions:

• Older maternal age and increased vaccination knowledge are associated with higher vaccination coverage.
• Enhancing public information about vaccines and vaccination can improve coverage rates.