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Parents' concerns about vaccine scheduling in Shanghai, China
Abram L Wagner1, Matthew L Boulton2, Xiaodong Sun3
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Insights
Parental concerns about vaccine scheduling in China are linked to information from the internet and other parents. Addressing these concerns online and through parent groups may improve vaccine uptake.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Immunization Practices
- Health Communication
Background:
- New vaccines in China have raised parental concerns regarding infant vaccination schedules.
- Specific worries include multiple vaccines per visit and infant vaccination before six months of age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore caregiver concerns about vaccine co-administration and infant vaccination schedules in Shanghai.
- To assess the association between these concerns and information sources used by caregivers.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 618 caregivers of children aged 8 months to 7 years in Shanghai immunization clinics.
- Data collected included concerns about vaccine co-administration and infant vaccination, information source ratings, and trust in doctors.
- Linear regression analyses adjusted for socioeconomic variables were used to analyze vaccine concerns.
Main Results:
- 64% of caregivers expressed concern about vaccine co-administration, and 31% worried about vaccination before six months.
- Higher reliance on the internet for information correlated with increased concerns about both co-administration and infant vaccination.
- Information from other parents was associated with greater concern regarding vaccine co-administration.
Conclusions:
- Caregiver concerns about vaccine scheduling may impact China's ability to update its national immunization program.
- Disseminating vaccine safety information online and facilitating parent discussions could help alleviate scheduling concerns.
Background:
Several new vaccines have been introduced into China in recent years, but some parents in China have shown concerns about the scheduling of vaccinations for young infants. This study explores caregiver concerns about children receiving multiple vaccines during a single visit and about vaccine administration in infants <6months, and assesses the degree to which these concerns are associated with ratings of the importance of different sources of vaccine information in Shanghai.
Methods:
Caregivers of children 8months to 7years presenting at immunization clinics in Shanghai completed a survey about vaccine co-administration and vaccine administration <6months of age. Respondents provided ratings of information from different sources (Internet, family/friends, other parents) and trust in doctors. We analyzed vaccine concerns using linear regression analyses that included these information sources after adjusting for socioeconomic variables.
Results:
Among 618 caregivers, 64% were concerned about vaccine co-administration and 31% were concerned about vaccine administration to infants <6months of age. Higher ratings of Internet as an important source of information were associated with greater concern about co-administration (β=0.11, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.22) and concern about administration at <6months of age (β=0.17, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.28). Higher ratings given to information from other parents corresponded to 0.24 points greater concern about vaccine co-administration (95% CI: 0.04, 0.44). More trust in doctors and ratings of information from friends and family were not associated with vaccine concerns.
Conclusions:
Caregiver concerns about vaccine scheduling may limit China's flexibility to add vaccines to its official immunization schedule. Reporting information about vaccine safety on the Internet and bringing groups of parents together to discuss vaccines might help to ameliorate concerns about vaccine scheduling.
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