Attitudes of physicians concerning vaccines not included in the national immunization schedule

Çataklı T, Duyan-Çamurdan A, Aksakal-Baran FN, Güven AE, Beyazova U. Attitudes of physicians concerning vaccines not included in the national immunization schedule. Turk J Pediatr 2018; 60: 290-297. The aim of this study was to identify attitudes of family physicians and pediatricians working in sub-provinces of central Ankara concerning rotavirus (RV), human papilloma virus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-MCV4) and adolescent and adult pertussis (Tdap) vaccines which are not included in the National Immunization Schedule (NIS). Questionnaires were conducted with 300 family physicians and 230 pediatricians who were selected by random sampling. RV vaccine is the most commonly recommended vaccine by physicians (60.5%). It is the vaccine they want to be added to the NIS the most (48.5%). Tdap vaccine is the least recommended vaccine (24.1%) and the least preferred for inclusion in the NIS (19.6%). Of the physicians recommending the RV vaccine 94.0% believe that `RV-related diarrhea cases exhibit a severe course of illness in children younger than two years old.` Pediatricians recommend RV, meningoccocal and Tdap vaccines more than family physicians (p < 0.05). Of the physicians who do not recommend RV, HPV, and conjugated meningococcal vaccine 87.5%, 96.7% and 27.6% found the vaccines expenive, respectively. Of the physicians who do not recommend Tdap vaccine 90.4% think that `Tdap vaccination is not a health problem of priority for their country.` In conclusion physicians are recommending vaccines which are not included in the NIS. Their common concern for not recommending these vaccines is expensive price.