Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Inonu University faculty members regarding childhood vaccine refusal

Barriers to measles mumps rubella vaccine acceptance in the three southern border provinces of Thailand

Purpose

This qualitative study utilizing phenomenological methodology aimed to depict parental measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine acceptance through the work experiences of health personnel.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-two public health workers working as vaccination providers in the three southern border provinces of Thailand were recruited. In-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Four main themes emerged: (1) religious beliefs, (2) personal disagreements, (3) fear and mistrust regarding potential vaccine side effects, and (4) misperceptions about the potential severity of measles. Four subthemes were identified: (1) haram (prohibited), (2) the will of Allah, (3) spousal disagreement, and (4) disagreement from a religious leader. The results of this study indicated that perceived religious prohibition was the most important reason for refusing to vaccinate among Muslim parents. Vaccine-hesitant parents were concerned that the vaccine might contain gelatin derived from pig products. Also, halal certification of the vaccine was required from Muslim parents to ensure that vaccine has been approved for Muslims. Meanwhile, a lack of knowledge and positive attitudes concerning immunizations of vaccine-hesitant parents were also found as predominant reasons for incomplete childhood immunizations in the deep south of Thailand.

Conclusion

Health education and engagement by religious leaders to endorse the vaccination and bridge the gap between religious beliefs and vaccine acceptance is needed to overcome this issue. This study findings could be effectively applied to improve vaccination uptake in a Muslim majority context.

Global COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: A Systematic Review of Associated Social and Behavioral Factors

COVID-19 vaccines have met varying levels of acceptance and hesitancy in different parts of the world, which has implications for eliminating the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this systematic review is to examine how and why the rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy differ across countries and continents. PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore and Science Direct were searched between 1 January 2020 and 31 July 2021 using keywords such as “COVID-19 vaccine acceptance”. 81 peer-reviewed publications were found to be eligible for review. The analysis shows that there are global variations in vaccine acceptance among different populations. The vaccine-acceptance rates were the highest amongst adults in Ecuador (97%), Malaysia (94.3%) and Indonesia (93.3%) and the lowest amongst adults in Lebanon (21.0%). The general healthcare workers (HCWs) in China (86.20%) and nurses in Italy (91.50%) had the highest acceptance rates, whereas HCWs in the Democratic Republic of Congo had the lowest acceptance (27.70%). A nonparametric one-way ANOVA showed that the differences in vaccine-acceptance rates were statistically significant (H (49) = 75.302, p = 0.009*) between the analyzed countries. However, the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy and acceptance were similar across the board. Low vaccine acceptance was associated with low levels of education and awareness, and inefficient government efforts and initiatives. Furthermore, poor influenza-vaccination history, as well as conspiracy theories relating to infertility and misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on social media also resulted in vaccine hesitancy. Strategies to address these concerns may increase global COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and accelerate our efforts to eliminate this pandemic.