What factors contribute to parental vaccine hesitancy for children aged 0–5 years?

What is it about?

Parental vaccine hesitancy is complex, multifaceted and impacts on childhood vaccination programmes. Parental refusal of vaccination for their children creates significant challenges, when it is not tackled contextually and collaboratively. An inter agency, professional and multidisciplinary approach is needed to ensure successful childhood vaccination programmes. The collaborative approach in tackling vaccine misinformation and knowledge gaps can lead to successful childhood vaccination programmes. It is vital that parents who are hesitant to offer their children vaccinations are carefully listened to with sensitivity and understood. The information given to parents who are hesitant to take up vaccinations must be clear and balanced to enable parents to make informed choices about vaccinations offered to their children. Healthcare professionals who offer vaccinations to children need to have annual mandatory training on vaccinations. The training will equip them to confidently and competently have pertinent conversations about the benefits of vaccination and the very rare side effects.

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The World Health organisation has expressed grave concerns in recent years about the global rise and burden of vaccine childhood preventable diseases. Parental vaccine hesitancy is one of the threats to the rise of vaccine preventable diseases in childhood. It is very critical for policy makers and healthcare professionals to work together collaboratively to find solutions to parental vaccine hesitancy, to increase uptake for childhood vaccinations.

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