Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines

Abstract

Parental refusal of vaccines is a growing a concern for the increased occurrence of vaccine preventable diseases in children. A number of studies have looked into the reasons that parents refuse, delay, or are hesitant to vaccinate their child(ren). These reasons vary widely between parents, but they can be encompassed in 4 overarching categories. The 4 categories are religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons, safety concerns, and a desire for more information from healthcare providers. Parental concerns about vaccines in each category lead to a wide spectrum of decisions varying from parents completely refusing all vaccinations to only delaying vaccinations so that they are more spread out. A large subset of parents admits to having concerns and questions about childhood vaccinations. For this reason, it can be helpful for pharmacists and other healthcare providers to understand the cited reasons for hesitancy so they are better prepared to educate their patients' families. Education is a key player in equipping parents with the necessary information so that they can make responsible immunization decisions for their children.

Vaccination Practices in Pediatric Dialysis Patients Across Europe. A European Pediatric Dialysis Working Group and European Society for Pediatric Nephrology Dialysis Working Group Study

“…However, in practice, in addition to the aforementioned reasons, incomplete vaccination records due to heavy work load, the complex nature of the disease course in CKD requiring detailed clinical and laboratory examinations during clinical visits, comorbid conditions, frequent non-communicable infectious diseases, early neonatal onset of CKD, and negative basic attitude of parents in some countries may hinder or delay scheduled routine immunization. Parental refusal of vaccines is a growing concern for the increased incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases [11]. Reasons why parents delay, refuse, or hesitate to vaccinate their children are religious beliefs, philosophical reasons such as believing that natural immunity is better than that acquired through vaccination, safety concerns, and desire for more information from healthcare professionals [11].…”

“…Parental refusal of vaccines is a growing concern for the increased incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases [11]. Reasons why parents delay, refuse, or hesitate to vaccinate their children are religious beliefs, philosophical reasons such as believing that natural immunity is better than that acquired through vaccination, safety concerns, and desire for more information from healthcare professionals [11]. According to our data, refusal of vaccination was reported from 4 centers because of parental beliefs about possible adverse reactions due to the vaccines or for ideological reasons.…”

Barriers to vaccination in renal transplant recipients

“…Distinct barriers to vaccine administration in pediatric patients are often imposed by parents and guardians. 33,36 Parental non-compliance to vaccinations for children is commonly based in the misconception of vaccine benefit, a fear of adverse events, or confusion regarding the vaccination schedule. However, these decisions can have dramatic consequences beyond infection immunity.…”

The Ethics of Parental Refusal to Vaccinate: Costs, Community Safety, and Individual Rights

“…Concerns about safety and effectiveness arise in all individuals considering vaccination but scrutiny is placed on children's vaccinations and thereby, their parents' rights to refuse them. Parents refuse to vaccinate their children for several reasons to include: religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons, safety concerns, and a desire for more information from healthcare providers (McKee & Bohannon, 2016).…”