Mothers’ Perspectives on Childhood Vaccination Programmes after the COVID-19 Pandemic and Subsequent News/Rumours About Vaccination

Abstract

Objective: Vaccine hesitation in parents against the childhood vaccination is an important public health problem that affects the whole society, especially children. In this study, we aimed to evaluate vaccine hesitancy in parents after COVID-19. Methods: The study consisted of a total of 161 parents who applied to the paediatric outpatient clinics of the University Hospital between February and August 2023 for the follow-up of healthy children aged 0-2 years. Sociodemographic information about infants and parents was obtained through a questionnaire and the vaccine hesitancy scale was used in the study. Results: The mean age of the infants was 7.4 ± 1.01 months; that of the mothers was 29.8 ± 4.3 years. 75.8% of parents considered the routine childhood vaccination programme safe. The rate of negatively affected by vaccine news/rumours after COVID-19 infection/pandemic was 23% in the hesitant group, while this rate was 2.5% in the safe group (p < 0.001). The vaccine hesitancy scale score was found to be higher in the group (22.5 ± 4.96) affected by vaccine news/rumours (p < 0.001). The vaccine hesitancy scale score of the parents who found childhood routine vaccination safe was lower than the hesitant group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Parents can be affected by news/rumours and posts on social media, and therefore parents need to be aware of digital parenting and health literacy. For parents who are trying to make the most accurate and appropriate decision for their children, the most accurate information about early vaccination/disease should be provided from all health professionals, especially paediatricians.

Keywords

• Childhood
• COVID-19 vaccination
• Immunisation
• Social media
• Vaccine hesitancy

Annelerin COVİD-19 Salgını ve Aşılamayla İlgili Haberler/Söylentiler Sonrası Çocukluk Çağı Aşılama Programlarına Bakış Açıları

Abstract

Amaç: Ebeveynlerin çocukluk çağı aşılarına karşı aşı tereddütleri, başta çocuklar olmak üzere tüm toplumu etkileyen önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Bu çalışmada, COVİD-19 sonrası annelerde aşı tereddütünü değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya Şubat-Ağustos 2023 tarihleri arasında Aksaray Üniversite Hastanesi pediatri polikliniklerine 0-2 yaş arası sağlıklı çocuklarının takibi için başvuran toplam 161 anne dahil edildi. Sosyodemografik bilgiler bir anket aracılığıyla elde edildi ve çalışmada aşı tereddüt ölçeği kullanıldı. Bulgular: Annelerin %75.8’i rutin çocukluk çağı aşılama programını güvenli buldu. COVİD-19 enfeksiyonu/pandemisi sonrası aşı haberlerinden/söylentilerinden olumsuz etkilenme oranı kararsız grupta %23 iken, bu oran güvenli grupta %2.5’ti (p<0.001). Aşı tereddüt ölçeği puanı aşı haberlerinden/söylentilerinden etkilenen grupta (22.5±4.96), etkilenmeye gruba (17.3±3.99) göre daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0.001). Çocukluk çağı rutin aşılamalarını güvenli bulan ebeveynlerin aşı kararsızlık ölçeği puanı (19.02±4.45) kararsız gruptan (25.41±4.66) daha düşüktü (p<0.001). Lise ve üzeri eğitime sahip annelerin aşı kararsızlık ölçek puanları (21.39±5.19) diğer gruptan (19.39±4.59) daha yüksek olduğu bulunmuştur (p=0.014). Sonuç: Anneler sosyal medyadaki haber/söylenti ve paylaşımlardan etkilenebilmektedir ve bu nedenle ebeveynlerin dijital ebeveynlik ve sağlık okuryazarlığı konusunda bilinçli olmaları gerekmektedir. Eğitim düzeyi daha yüksek olan anneler aşılama konusunda daha fazla araştırma yapmakta ve çocukluk aşıları konusunda daha tereddütlü olabilmektedir. Çocukları için en doğru ve uygun kararı vermeye çalışan anneler için erken aşılama/hastalık konusunda en doğru bilgi başta pediatristler olmak üzere tüm sağlık profesyonellerinden sağlanmalıdır.

Keywords

• Çocukluk çağı
• COVİD-19 aşılaması
• Aşılama
• Sosyal media
• Aşı tereddütü

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