Puppets, Vaccines, and Public Health

Abstract

In response to declining childhood vaccination rates and public confidence in vaccines across Europe and Central Asia, the “Mister Stethoscope” puppet show in Albania is engaging children aged 5-10 and their parents to boost vaccine awareness, combat misinformation, and prompt parents to get their children vaccinated. A UNICEF report released in April 2023 indicated that public perception regarding the value of vaccines for children decreased in the region since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid the largest sustained decline in childhood immunization in 30 years (UNICEF, 2023).