Determinants of Parental Acceptance of the H1N1 Vaccine

Abstract

Although designated as a high-risk group during the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic, only about 40% of U.S. children received the vaccine, a relatively low percentage compared with high-risk groups in seasonal influenza, such as the elderly, whose vaccine rates typically top 70%. To better understand parental decision making and predictors of acceptance of the H1N1 vaccine, we examined data from a representative national sample of parents (n = 684), using the health belief model as a framework. The most important predictors of vaccine acceptance were “cues to action” at multiple levels, from intrapersonal to mass communication, including the influence of friends, family, the media, and modeling by the Obama family; costs and benefits and self-efficacy were also significant predictors of vaccine acceptance. Higher perceived levels of H1N1 risk were not associated with vaccine uptake. Results suggest that traditional measures of perceived risk may not account for the cost–benefit analysis inherent in vaccine decision making, and that messages designed to emphasize disease risk may be ineffective. The authors recommend emphasizing cues to action that support norming and modeling of vaccine acceptance.

Predictors of self and parental vaccination decisions in England during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: Analysis of the Flu Watch pandemic cohort data

“…For childhood vaccination, the current observed relationships between perceived risk and child vaccination are consistent with Rubin and colleagues’ Rubin et al [31] finding that perceived risk mediated their observed relationship between National Health Service (NHS) work and likely vaccine uptake [31] . However, this relationship between perceived risk and parental H1N1 vaccine uptake was not observed in a recent paper from the United States ( [16] ; but cf. [26] 3 ; [34] ).…”

“…Indeed, a further examination of Bish and colleagues’ systematic review reveals only four studies (including [31] ) that specifically focused on parental vaccination behaviour (Setbon and Raude, 2010; Schwarzinger et al, 2010; Torun and Torun, 2010; cited in Bish et al [2] ). Although there is a broader literature concerning predictors of parental vaccination during H1N1 (e.g., [4] , [5] , [9] , [16] , [18] , [26] , [34] ; see also Larson, Jarrett, Eckersberger, Smith, & Paterson for a broader systematic review of childhood vaccine hesitancy), we are unaware of any additional quantitative papers concerning predictors of UK parental vaccination during the H1N1 pandemic. Given the threat posed by a future influenza pandemic and the low uptake of vaccination in the prior pandemic (particularly among young children), further understanding of vaccine uptake among all ages of the UK general population during the H1N1 pandemic is critical.…”

Barriers of Influenza Vaccination Intention and Behavior – A Systematic Review of Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy, 2005 – 2016

“…6 articles found that lacking perceived behavioral control was a significant barrier to vaccine uptake (Public 5/191 [ 124 , 155 , 199 , 200 , 220 ]; Unspecified 1/22 [ 221 ]); as was low self-efficacy (HCP 1/117 [ 153 ]; Elderly 1/62 [ 222 ]; Children 1/18 [ 223 ]; Public 5/191 [ 124 , 209 , 210 , 224 , 225 ]). For example, a study by Hilyard et al found that “parents were 1.3 times more likely than others to get their children vaccinated for every standard deviation increase in self-efficacy” [ 226 ].…”

Influence of sources of information about influenza vaccine on parental attitudes and adolescent vaccine receipt

“…This finding may provide support for the importance of social norms in encouraging vaccination among parents as other studies have demonstrated. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Second, we can say that media exposure may contribute to a positive attitude of parents which was associated with their adolescent receiving an influenza vaccine. A previous study found a relationship between media exposure and knowledge about vaccines, 13,23 but none have examined the relationship between sources of information about influenza vaccine and parental attitudes and how this may impact influenza vaccination uptake.…”