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Published on: January 26, 2019
Parental knowledge and attitudes to infant immunization in the context of RSV: All about confidence?
Simon Langer1, Sabrina Holzapfel1, Lara August1
1Department of Neonatology, Children's University Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Insights
Parental knowledge and attitudes significantly impact decisions regarding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in addressing vaccine hesitancy and increasing uptake among hesitant but accessible parents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Recent approval of the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.
- Persistent challenges of vaccine hesitancy in immunization programs.
- Increased RSV activity observed in the 2022/23 season.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental knowledge and attitudes towards general childhood vaccinations and new RSV vaccines.
- To investigate factors influencing parental vaccine decision-making in the context of RSV.
- To identify strategies for increasing RSV vaccine uptake.
Main Methods:
- Online questionnaire survey administered to parents of infants aged 0-36 months in Regensburg, Germany (February-June 2023).
- Data collected on demographics, socio-economic status, mental well-being, RSV knowledge, and vaccine perceptions.
- Statistical analysis included t-tests, Chi-square tests, and regression models to identify influencing factors.
Main Results:
- 84% of participants had never refused vaccinations; 91% trusted their pediatrician.
- 58% possessed basic to good knowledge of RSV, correlating with higher socioeconomic status.
- 24% were undecided about RSV immunization, representing a key group for intervention; higher concern noted for parents of hospitalized or preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Parental decision-making regarding RSV vaccination is multifactorial, leading to distinct groups: acceptors, refusers, and hesitant but accessible parents.
- The 'hesitant but accessible' group (24%) is crucial for increasing overall vaccine uptake.
- Enhanced information about RSV and the role of trusted healthcare professionals are vital for reducing vaccine hesitancy.
Background:
Recently, the first RSV vaccines have been approved, but vaccine hesitancy still poses great challenges to immunization programs.
Objective:
To investigate this phenomenon in the context of the new RSV vaccines and an increased virus activity in 2022/23, we assessed parental knowledge and attitudes towards general childhood and RSV vaccines.
Methods:
Parents of infants from 0-36 months completed an online questionnaire on demographics, socio-economic status, mental well-being, knowledge on RSV and perceptions of disease, attitudes to general childhood and RSV vaccines. The survey was conducted from February-June 2023 in the region of Regensburg, Germany. We compared continuous or categorical data with two-sided t-tests or Chi-square tests, respectively. Linear and logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounders.
Results:
From 191 survey participants, 84 % had never refused any recommended vaccination and 91 % trusted their paediatrician's information. 11 % felt that children should have fewer vaccinations or rather get over the illness. Parents who were supportive or undecided about RSV vaccination were less likely to be vaccine hesitant in general (OR 0.03, p < 0.001; OR 0.13, p = 0.003). 58 % reported to have basic or good knowledge on RSV, correlating with a higher socioeconomic index (p = 0.049). 24 % were undecided about RSV immunization, while all parents rated its benefit high in the child's first year of life. Parents who refused RSV vaccination were less concerned about the infection compared to vaccine supporters (OR 0.44, p < 0.001). Parents with previously hospitalized (OR 3.88, p = 0.017) or preterm born children (OR 5.12, p = 0.026) were generally more concerned.
Conclusion:
Many factors influence parental decision-making leading to three main groups of attitudes: vaccine acceptors, refusers and hesitant but accessible parents. They (24%) represent the "target group" to increase vaccine uptake. Information on the vaccine-preventable disease reduces vaccine hesitancy, underlining the importance of healthcare professionals who remain an important source of trust.
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