Sources of parental knowledge about the safety of vaccinations in Poland

Bibliographic Data

ID22945106
AuthorsMałgorzata Kowalska (0000-0002-4336-1549, Medical University of Silesia), Maksymilian Gajda (0000-0003-2240-3575, Medical University of Silesia, corresponding author), Kamil Baranski (0000-0002-0106-9662, Medical University of Silesia), Bogumiła Braczkowska (0000-0002-4716-8324, Medical University of Silesia)
Year2019
Volume34
Issue6
Pages1191-1199
Publication date2019-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/day096
PMID30476112
OpenAlexW2901898526
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited14

There has been a recent increase in the number of parents refusing vaccination for their children in many European countries, including Poland. This observation necessitates the need to understand parental knowledge in regard to mandatory vaccination of children in these countries. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2016 on 1239 parents or legal guardians of preschool and school children in the Silesian Voivodship (Poland) to evaluate their hesitancy in acquiescing to their children mandatory immunization and the relation to this habit in regard to the use of informational sources on children vaccination system in Poland. Medical doctors often provide the basic source of information about vaccination to parents. About one-third (29%) of the respondents from the survey deemed the qualification system for vaccination as either inadequate or bad. 16.9% of the respondents surveyed declared that information received from physicians regarding vaccinations were either incomplete or unconvincing. Results of multivariable analyses confirmed that respondents are less likely to seek information about mandatory vaccinations from medical professionals and more often to misjudged vaccination’s qualification system. Participants who used less informative sources (e.g. leaflets) and those with a lower level of education were more likely to avoid vaccination. Greater emphasis on the quality of information provided by medical professionals is crucial in order to avoid doubts about vaccination and to create proper attitudes and adherence to vaccination schedules.

Environmental health · Immunization · Political science · Vaccination · Vaccine safety · Child and Adolescent Health · Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare · Immunology · Medicine · Psychology · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy · Virology

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