What makes an expert in childhood vaccinations? Perceptions of parents in Finland

In Finland, trust in science and research organisations is high. This correlates with the fact that childhood vaccination uptake is generally good in Finland, with vaccine refusal being rare. However, there are differences between vaccines and regions in terms of uptake. Influenza and HPV vaccinations are two childhood vaccinations with suboptimal coverages in Finland. Although science and scientists are generally trusted in Finland, public health experts have been increasingly contested, and their expertise challenged. Little is known about parental vaccination expert preferences. This study explored what makes an expert in childhood vaccinations, according to parents of children aged between 6 months and 14 years of age. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data. In total, 415 parents took part in the study. The identified vaccine expert categories were "knowledge and experience", "institutional authority", "ethics and integrity" and "communication and interaction". We also found statistically significant differences between vaccine accepting, hesitant and refusing parents in terms of expert preferences. In conclusion, parents did not grant the expert the status of an authoritarian vaccine expert solely due to their qualifications and knowledge, but the expert was also needed to be accessible and actively engage and convince the parent.