Pervasive Parental Hesitancy and Resistance towards Measles Rubella Vaccination in Jordan

Abstract

Measles remains a highly contagious and potentially severe infectious disease, necessitating high vaccine coverage. However, misinformation and measles vaccine hesitancy/resistance have posed significant challenges to achieving this goal. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these challenges, leading to a measles outbreak in Jordan in 2023. This study aimed to investigate the acceptance of the measles rubella (MR) vaccine among parents in Jordan and to identify its associated determinants. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted using a previously Arabic-validated version of the Parental Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey instrument. Data collection took place in October 2023, and the final study sample comprised a total of 391 parents, with mothers representing 69.8% of the participants (n = 273). The majority of participating parents expressed either resistance (n = 169, 43.2%) or hesitancy (n = 168, 43.0%) towards MR vaccination, while only 54 participants (13.8%) expressed MR vaccine acceptance. Multivariate analysis revealed that trust in vaccine safety/efficacy, behavior, and having fewer offspring were significantly associated with MR vaccine acceptance. The current study revealed a concerning level of MR vaccine hesitancy/resistance among parents in Jordan, which could signal a public health alarm in the country. Urgent and targeted interventions are strongly recommended to address this issue, including mass campaigns aimed at building trust in the MR vaccine’s safety/efficacy. Additionally, there is an urgent need for effective public health initiatives to ensure sufficient measles vaccine coverage to prevent future outbreaks of this serious disease.

Assessment of Maternal Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Childhood Immunisation: A Cross-sectional Study at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital

“…Modern vaccinations are incredibly successful. Vaccinations prevent most illnesses from spreading from person to person; the more vaccinated individuals in a society, the less likely they are to transmit the disease, but a small number may remain unprotected [28]. In the current study, mothers appeared to be adequately educated about probable vaccination side effects, as they reported fever and swelling at the injection site as the predominant adverse effects following immunisation dosage.…”

Rubella Vaccine Uptake among Women of Childbearing Age in Healthcare Settings

“…Indeed, studies in the literature show that lower levels of education is associated with lower acceptance. They may also be more influenced by misinformation spread by social media and by parental attitudes against vaccines [37,38].…”

From Protection to Prevention: Redefining Vaccines in the Context of Antimicrobial Resistance

“…Many studies have explored the acceptance of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. A study from Jordan found a concerning level of hesitancy and resistance, with trust in vaccine safety and efficacy, behavior, and having fewer offspring being associated with acceptance [ 30 ]. Another study from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia revealed that COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and monkeypox vaccination conspiracies correlated with higher reported side effects and negative attitudes toward booster and mandatory vaccinations [ 31 ].…”