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Background Sustained vaccine coverage is essential to protect the population against vaccine-preventable diseases. It requires high level of confidence in the national vaccine programme.
Aim We surveyed parental attitudes to childhood vaccinations in 2015 and compared them to attitudes in the previous 10 years.
Method We randomly selected 275 locations in England. Interviewers identified eligible carers of children aged <5 years and interviewed them. The questionnaire covered all aspects of the immunisation process, vaccines administered in pregnancy and from infancy to pre-school with a maximum of 86 mixed questions.
Results 1792 parents were interviewed. Confidence in the vaccination programme was high. Only 2% of parents reported refusing vaccination whilst 90% reported vaccinating their children automatically when due. 97% of parents consulted web-based resources for information on vaccination. Parents who used chat rooms or discussion forums for this purpose were significantly more likely to say they had seen something that would make them doubt having their child(ren) immunized (31% compared to 8% amongst all parents). Health professionals and the NHS were seen as the most trusted source of advice on immunisation (90% agreed/strongly agreed with each). Very few parents did not trust these sources (4% and 3% disagreed, respectively).
Conclusion Health professionals remain extremely important in communicating information about vaccination and are highly trusted by parents; a trust that has increased in recent years. Despite most parents seeking information on the Internet, trust in and advice from health care professionals appeared to be key factors influencing parental decisions.
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British Journal of General Practice
