Views about vaccines and how views changed during the COVID-19 pandemic among a national sample of young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

We examined perceptions of vaccines and changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, a national sample of young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men completed an open-ended survey item about vaccine perceptions. Analyses identified themes and polarity (negative, neutral, or positive) within responses and determined temporal changes across phases of the pandemic ("pre-pandemic," "pandemic," "initial vaccine availability," or "widespread vaccine availability"). Themes included health benefits of vaccines (53.9%), fear of shots (23.7%), COVID-19 (10.3%), vaccines being safe (5.6%), and vaccine hesitancy/misinformation (5.5%). Temporal changes existed for multiple themes (p < .05). Overall, 53.0% of responses were positive, 31.2% were negative, and 15.8% were neutral. Compared to the pre-pandemic phase, polarity was less positive for the widespread vaccine availability phase (odds ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.96). The findings provide insight into how vaccine perceptions change in concert with a public health emergency.

Why Parents Say No to Having Their Children Vaccinated against Measles: A Systematic Review of the Social Determinants of Parental Perceptions on MMR Vaccine Hesitancy

Ongoing outbreaks of measles threaten its elimination status in the United States. Its resurgence points to lower parental vaccine confidence and local pockets of unvaccinated and undervaccinated individuals. The geographic clustering of hesitancy to MMR indicates the presence of social drivers that shape parental perceptions and decisions on immunization. Through a qualitative systematic review of published literature (n = 115 articles; 7 databases), we determined major themes regarding parental reasons for MMR vaccine hesitancy, social context of MMR vaccine hesitancy, and trustworthy vaccine information sources. Fear of autism was the most cited reason for MMR hesitancy. The social drivers of vaccine hesitancy included primary care/healthcare, education, economy, and government/policy factors. Social factors, such as income and education, exerted a bidirectional influence, which facilitated or hindered vaccine compliance depending on how the social determinant was experienced. Fear of autism was the most cited reason for MMR hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy to MMR and other childhood vaccines clustered in middle- to high-income areas among mothers with a college-level education or higher who preferred internet/social media narratives over physician-based vaccine information. They had low parental trust, low perceived disease susceptibility, and were skeptical of vaccine safety and benefits. Combating MMR vaccine misinformation and hesitancy requires intersectoral and multifaceted approaches at various socioecological levels to address the social drivers of vaccine behavior.

Top2a promotes the development of social behavior via PRC2 and H3K27me3

Little is understood about the embryonic development of sociality. We screened 1120 known drugs and found that embryonic inhibition of topoisomerase IIα (Top2a) resulted in lasting social deficits in zebrafish. In mice, prenatal Top2 inhibition caused defects in social interaction and communication, which are behaviors that relate to core symptoms of autism. Mutation of Top2a in zebrafish caused down-regulation of a set of genes highly enriched for genes associated with autism in humans. Both the Top2a-regulated and autism-associated gene sets have binding sites for polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), a regulatory complex responsible for H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Moreover, both gene sets are highly enriched for H3K27me3. Inhibition of the PRC2 component Ezh2 rescued social deficits caused by Top2 inhibition. Therefore, Top2a is a key component of an evolutionarily conserved pathway that promotes the development of social behavior through PRC2 and H3K27me3.

Attitudes and Beliefs around the Value of Vaccination in the United States

Despite the benefits of immunization, differences in attitudes persist toward vaccines. We captured individuals’ perceptions of vaccines and vaccination across the United States (US) to inform vaccine-related policy development. A survey was completed by 5000 respondents from 10 states. Respondents were screened for inclusion, which included individuals ≥ 18 years of age that had received a vaccine or were unvaccinated but indicated a favorable or neutral attitude towards vaccinations. Participants were excluded if they indicated they did not support the idea of vaccinations. Questions explored perceptions of vaccines for all age groups. Among unvaccinated individuals, the most common concerns were about safety (38%). Most respondents (95%) highlighted the importance of state immunization programs for disease prevention. Access to health and immunization records and immunization information systems were important to 96% and 88% of respondents, respectively, for future health planning. Doctors and healthcare professionals (HCPs) were considered trusted sources for vaccine information (95%). Overall, respondents recognized the importance of vaccination, but documented concerns among the unvaccinated indicated a need for greater promotion regarding vaccine safety. Doctors and HCPs, as trusted information sources, should continue to and increasingly advocate for the importance of immunization to increase vaccine uptake.

Exposure to "Vaccination Selfies" Relate to Readers' Vaccination Intention: The Moderating Role of Partisan Media Use and the Mediating Role of Affective Responses

As vaccines for COVID-19 become accessible to the U.S. public, vaccinated individuals often post "vaccination selfies" on social media to encourage unvaccinated others to be inoculated. This study explores the relationship between exposure to these vaccination posts and post readers' vaccination intention. Drawn upon the functional affect theories, the authors proposed integral affective responses to the vaccination posts to explain readers' vaccination intention. Social media users' partisan media use was proposed to explain readers' different affective responses. Results from a cross-sectional survey (N = 343) showed that only exposure to proximal others' (e.g., friends), not distal others' (e.g., celebrities), vaccination posts was significantly associated with vaccination intention through positive affective responses. Conservative media use enhanced readers' negative affective response to vaccination posts whereas liberal media use was associated with positive affective responses. The findings highlighted the importance of social norms and positive affection appeals in pro-vaccination campaigns.

Effects of Treadmill Exercise on the Expression Level of BAX, BAD, BCL-2, BCL-XL, TFAM, and PGC-1α in the Hippocampus of Thimerosal-Treated Rats

Thimerosal (THIM) induces neurotoxic changes including neuronal death and releases apoptosis inducing factors from mitochondria to cytosol. THIM alters the expression level of factors involved in apoptosis. On the other hand, the anti-apoptotic effects of exercise have been reported. In this study, we aimed to discover the effect of three protocols of treadmill exercise on the expression level of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), BCL-2-associated death (BAD), BCL-2-associated X (BAX), BCL-XL, and BCL-2 (a pro-survival BCL-2 protein) in the hippocampus of control and THIM-exposed rats. Male Wistar rats were used in this research. Real-time PCR was applied to assess genes expression. The results showed that THIM increased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors (BAD and BAX), decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic factors (BCL-2 and BCL-XL), and decreased the expression of factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (TFAM and PGC-1α). Treadmill exercise protocols reversed the effect of THIM on all genes. In addition, treadmill exercise protocols decreased the expression of BAD and BAX, increased the expression of BCL-2, and increased the expression of TFAM and PGC-1α in control rats. In conclusion, THIM induced a pro-apoptotic effect and disturbed mitochondrial biogenesis and stability, whereas treadmill exercise reversed these effects.

Parents' willingness to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children in the United States

Differences in obtaining a vaccine vary based on a multitude of factors including perceptions of vaccine safety, efficacy and willingness to pay (WTP). This study focuses on parent perceptions toward a vaccine for COVID-19 including their WTP decisions for their children and themselves. A mixed methods design using a cross-sectional survey was used to assess the perceptions of US parents, with children under 18, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was administered online in November 2020 and 584 final responses were collected. The questionnaire consisted of approximately 37 closed and open-ended questions regarding personal background information; awareness, knowledge, and experience of the virus; perception toward vaccines and COVID-19; and the contingent valuation of a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine. WTP was found to be higher for children and a direct relationship between the number of children and WTP was observed. Parents were willing to pay US$228-$291 for a vaccine for themselves and US$243-US$321 for their children. A positive impact on WTP was found with self-reported parent health status but not children. The findings of this study have important implications for policy programs which require detailed cost-benefit analyses. WTP for a COVID-19 vaccine is crucial to determine the partial benefits of vaccinating to reduce the risk of repetitive widespread outbreaks.

Human Papillomavirus Knowledge and Communication Skills: A Role-Play Activity for Providers

INTRODUCTION

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and related cancers are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Routine vaccination against HPV is recommended for patients starting at age 9-12 years. Discussing this vaccine with parents of young children can be challenging for clinicians. Barriers include parental beliefs, strength and quality of clinician recommendations, physician knowledge of HPV disease and vaccines, and provider comfort levels with discussing sexuality.

METHODS

Our interactive workshop began with a predidactic role-play session addressing common concerns about the HPV vaccine where participants took turns playing a concerned parent or provider. We then gave a 30-minute didactic lecture and conducted a postdidactic role-play session to practice communication skills in promoting the HPV vaccine. All participants completed pre- and postintervention knowledge and skill self-assessments.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight pediatric residents and medical students participated. We observed significant improvement in their ability to appropriately recommend the HPV vaccine in the postdidactic role-play (all ps < .02). Learner knowledge improved from pre- to postintervention (from 34% to 100%, p < .0025, based on average score), as did self-perceived comfort and confidence levels (from 3.6 to 4.3, p < .0001, average score based on a 5-point Likert scale).

DISCUSSION

An interactive workshop utilizing role-play supplemented by a didactic lecture was effective in improving participants' knowledge, communication skills, comfort levels, and confidence levels regarding HPV disease and vaccines. The workshop offers a practical and interpersonal approach to improving learners' skills in discussing the HPV vaccine with parents.

In the Wake of a Pandemic: Revisiting School Approaches to Nonmedical Exemptions to Mandatory Vaccination in the US

Mandatory school vaccination policies with exclusion of unvaccinated students can be a powerful tool in ensuring high vaccination rates. Some parents may object to mandatory vaccination policies, claiming exemptions based on medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. Individual schools, school systems, or local or regional governments have different policies with respect to whether, and what kind of, exemptions may be allowed. In the setting of the current pandemic, questions regarding the acceptability of exemptions have resurfaced, as schools and local governments struggle with how to safely return children to school. Anticipating that school attendance will be facilitated by the development of a vaccine, school systems will face decisions about whether to mandate vaccination and whether to permit exemptions. The American Academy of Pediatrics promulgates policy favoring the elimination of nonmedical exemptions generally in schools. This discussion considers whether schools should eliminate nonmedical exemptions to vaccination as proposed in the American Academy of Pediatrics policy, ultimately concluding that broad elimination of exemptions is not justified and advocating a more nuanced approach that encourages school attendance while promoting vaccination and broader public health goals.

A hidden vulnerable population: Young children up-to-date on vaccine series recommendations except influenza vaccines

Very young children (under 2 years old) have high risk for influenza-related complications. Children 6 months or older in the US are recommended to receive influenza vaccination annually, yet uptake is substantially lower than other routinely-recommended vaccines. Existing nationally-representative studies on very young child influenza vaccine uptake has several limitations: few examine provider-verified influenza vaccination (relying on parental report), few contain parental vaccine attitudes variables (known to be crucial to vaccine uptake), and none to our knowledge consider intersectionality of social disadvantage nor how influenza vaccine determinants differ from those of other recommended vaccines. This nationally-representative study examines provider-verified data on 7,246 children aged 6–23 months from the most recent (2011) National Immunization Survey to include the restricted Parental Concerns module, focusing on children up-to-date on a series of vaccines (the 4:3:1:3:3:1:4 series) but not influenza vaccines (“hidden vulnerability to influenza”). About 71% of children were up-to-date on the series yet only 33% on influenza vaccine recommendations by their second birthday; 44% had hidden vulnerability to influenza. Independent of parental history of vaccine refusal and a myriad of health services use factors, no parental history of delaying vaccination was associated with 7.5% (2.6–12.5) higher probability of hidden vulnerability to influenza despite being associated with 15.5% (10.8–20.2) lower probability of being up-to-date on neither the series nor influenza vaccines. Thus, parental compliance with broad child vaccine recommendations and lack of vaccine hesitancy may not indicate choice to vaccinate children against influenza. Examination of intersectionality suggests that maternal college education may not confer improved vaccination among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children despite that it does for non-Hispanic White children. Policymakers and researchers from public health, sociology, and other sectors need to collaborate to further examine how vaccine hesitancy and intersectional social disadvantage interact to affect influenza vaccine uptake in young US children.

Vaccine hesitancy among Saudi parents and its determinants. Result from the WHO SAGE working group on vaccine hesitancy survey tool

OBJECTIVES

To assess the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among Saudi parents. In addition, we explored the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and child's immunization status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using interviews with parents visiting outpatient clinics at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between July 2017 and October 2018. The strategic advisory group of experts on immunization vaccine hesitancy survey was used. Results: A total of 500 parents were interviewed. Twenty percent of parents were hesitant to get their child vaccinated. Parents with higher educational levels were more vaccine hesitant (p less than 0.001). Among parents who reported hesitancy toward vaccination, 36% of children were not vaccinated fully for their age. Concerns related to vaccine safety were the most frequent reason (53%) reported by vaccine-hesitant parents. Negative beliefs toward vaccination seemed to be associated with increase hesitancy and incomplete vaccination status of children. In multivariate analyses, the main factors associated with both parents' hesitancy and incomplete vaccination status were believing that vaccines are ineffective (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.9-102.3) and believing that vaccines are not important (AOR=27, 95% CI: 5.8-126). Conclusion: Vaccine hesitancy among parents in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a concern and is likely to influence the vaccination status of their children. Countering vaccine related concerns must be tailored, particularly in higher-educated groups.

Perceived trust in the health system among mothers and nurses and its relationship to the issue of vaccinations among the Arab population of Israel: A qualitative research study

The literature indicates that trust plays an important role in people's decision-making with respect to vaccinations. This research seeks to examine the impact of trust on the high response rate to vaccinations among the minority Arab population living in Israel. The research employs the qualitative phenomenological research method, using personal interviews to identify and analyze perceived trust among mothers of young children and teenagers (n = 70) and among nurses (n = 20) in the Arab population in the context of vaccinations and the high response rate to vaccinations among this population. The research findings point to differing levels of trust in the medical system. The participants placed the highest trust in the nurses working in the Tipat Halav Family Health Centers run by the Ministry of Health. These nurses are the main communicators of information about childhood vaccinations in Israel. Moreover, the interviewees saw vaccinations as an example of the state offering equal and optimal services to the Arab minority population. In addition, the interviewees consider the explanatory materials to be limited, superficial and not culturally appropriate. These positive attitudes toward vaccinations alongside reports that no importance is attributed to the explanatory materials due to their low quality may cause the population to accept vaccination recommendations as they are and to delegate responsibility and authority to the state.

Accelerating measles and rubella elimination through research and innovation - Findings from the Measles & Rubella Initiative research prioritization process, 2016

The Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI) identified five key strategies to achieve measles and rubella elimination, including research and innovation to support cost-effective operations and improve vaccination and diagnostic tools. In 2016, the M&RI Research and Innovation Working Group (R&IWG) completed a research prioritization process to identify key research questions and update the global research agenda. The R&IWG reviewed meeting reports and strategic planning documents and solicited programmatic inputs from vaccination experts at the program operational level through a web survey, to identify previous research priorities and new research questions. The R&IWG then convened a meeting of experts to prioritize the identified research questions in four strategic areas: (1) epidemiology and economics, (2) surveillance and laboratory, (3) immunization strategies, and (4) demand creation and communications. The experts identified 19 priority research questions in the four strategic areas to address key areas of work necessary to further progress toward elimination. Future commitments from partners will be needed to develop a platform for improved coordination with adequate and predictable resources for research implementation and innovation to address these identified priorities.

Effects of Message Framing on Influenza Vaccination: Understanding the Role of Risk Disclosure, Perceived Vaccine Efficacy, and Felt Ambivalence

The current study examined the effects of framing in promotional health messages on intention to vaccinate against seasonal influenza virus. The findings of an experimental study (N = 86) indicated that exposure to both benefits and side effects of vaccination (gain-framed with risk disclosure message) led to lower intention to receive the flu vaccine. This relationship was mediated by both perceived vaccine efficacy and felt ambivalence in a serial order, revealing the underlying psychological mechanisms important for understanding health-related behaviors. Theoretical implications of constructing sub-framed messages are discussed and the concept of second-order framing is introduced.

Decision-making for PCV in adults

Thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was licensed in adults to address the unmet medical need of vaccine-type community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and the limitations of previous plain-polysaccharide vaccines. Since then, some have questioned the utility of adult PCV13 use, arguing that: i) high PCV13 uptake in young children would provide indirect effects that, by themselves, would sufficiently protect unvaccinated adults and ii) no data describing the real-world effectiveness of PCV13 use in adults, especially with immunocompromising conditions, exist. Even in countries like the United States where PCV13 has been routinely recommended for all adults aged ≥ 65 years, the recommendation is contingent on a re-evaluation to determine if continued use is needed in the context of a mature PCV13 pediatric immunization program. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that i) a meaningful burden of PCV13-type pneumococcal pneumonia still persists in adults at increased risk for pneumococcal disease, despite indirect effects from long-standing pediatric PCV13 use, ii) adult PCV13 use is effective and has reduced pneumococcal CAP, even in the elderly and those with chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions – and disease could come back if PCV13 were removed, and iii) ethical and pragmatic vaccine policy considerations support continued adult PCV13 use in countries that have already introduced the vaccine (eg, disparities in adult PCV13 uptake, confusion stemming from removing a previously-recommended vaccine for a non-safety-related concern, and the reality that next-generation PCVs are only a few years away). Together, these findings suggest that continued PCV13 vaccination in adults is needed to control vaccine-type CAP.

Low coverage of HPV vaccination in the national immunization programme in Brazil: Parental vaccine refusal or barriers in health-service based vaccine delivery?

Background

The World Health Organization has recommended the introduction of HPV vaccines into national immunization programme (NIP), but vaccination coverage remains low worldwide. We assessed the coverage and the parental acceptance of female and male HPV vaccination in Brazil after its introduction into the NIP.

Methods

We conducted a random-digit-dial survey of parents in seven major Brazilian cities from July-2015 to October-2016. A knowledge, attitude and practices questionnaire was developed and validated by expert analysis, semantic analysis, and pre-testing.

Results

826 out of 2,324 (35.5%) eligible parents completed the interview. Parental acceptance of the HPV vaccine for daughters and sons 18 years of age or less was high (92% and 86%, respectively). Parents refusing vaccination were less likely to know that: HPV is sexually transmitted and causes genital warts, HPV vaccination is more beneficial before sexual debut, and HPV vaccine reactions are minor, and they were more likely to believe HPV vaccination can cause severe adverse events. Parents accepting HPV vaccine for daughters but not forsons were more likely to ignore that the vaccine is recommended for boys. Attitudes associated with HPV vaccine acceptance included: general belief in vaccines, trust in the NIP and in the HPV vaccine efficacy. Among girls eligible for HPV vaccination through the NIP, 58.4% had received a two-dose scheme and 71.1% at least one dose. “No vaccination/missed vaccination at school” was the most common reason for missed HPV vaccination in theNIP.

Conclusions

One year after introduction in the NIP, most parents surveyed in Brazil accepted HPV vaccination for their daughters and sons. Low coverage in the NIP seemed to be due to challenges in adolescent vaccine delivery and HPV vaccination barriers at health-care centers, rather than to vaccine refusal.

Parental perceptions, attitudes and acceptance of childhood immunization in Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The widespread availability and use of vaccines have tremendously reduced morbidity, mortality and health care costs associated with infectious diseases. However, parental beliefs about vaccination are one of the major factors in achieving high vaccination rates. Thus, this study aims to assess the perceptions and attitudes regarding routine childhood immunization among Saudi parents.

METHODS

A cross sectional study with a pre-tested 18-item questionnaire was conducted using 467 randomly selected parents from the Hail region of Saudi Arabia in the period between February 1st, 2016, and February 1st, 2017. The validated questionnaire consisted of three sections that collected information on participants' demographics, parents' awareness of vaccine benefits, and parents' practices regarding the immunization of their children.

RESULTS

Female and male parents comprised 54.5% (255) and 45.5% (212) of the sample, respectively, and the response and completion rates were 97%. The majority of the respondents had received a formal education (94.1%, 439), were gainfully employed (62.9%, 294) and had a regular monthly income (73.3%). The majority of the respondents were aware of childhood vaccinations (78.9%), completed vaccinations mandated for children up to 5 years (86.2%), encouraged other parents to do so (89.9%), and had easy access to vaccines (90.5%). Sixty to ninety percent of the respondents were knowledgeable regarding the health benefits of vaccinations in children, even though 18.4% of their children had experienced vaccination-related minor adverse effects during or after vaccination of which 23.2% required doctor's visits. Health care professionals were the most frequent source of parents' vaccine-related information (65.2%), and vaccination reminder services provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) via mobile phones were cited by 57.5% of respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

Confidence in and acceptance of childhood vaccinations, perceptions of vaccine-related health benefits and ease of access to immunizations appeared to be quite good among Saudi parents.

Calcium phosphate nanoparticle (CaPNP) for dose-sparing of inactivated whole virus pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine in mice

The emergence of pandemic influenza strains, particularly the reemergence of the swine-derived influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, is reaffirmation that influenza viruses are very adaptable and influenza remains as a significant global public health treat. As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of adjuvants is an attractive approach to improve vaccine efficacy and allow dose-sparing during an influenza emergency. In this study, we utilized CaPtivate Pharmaceutical's proprietary calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CaPNP) vaccine adjuvant and delivery platform to formulate an inactivated whole virus influenza A/CA/04/2009 (H1N1pdm) vaccine as a potential dose-sparing strategy. We evaluated the relative immunogenicity and the efficacy of the formulation in BALB/c mice following single intramuscularly administration of three different doses (0.3, 1, or 3µg based on HA content) of the vaccine in comparison to non-adjuvanted or alum-adjuvant vaccines. We showed that, addition of CaPNP in vaccine elicited significantly higher hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), virus neutralization (VN), and IgG antibody titers, at all dose levels, relative to the non-adjuvanted vaccine. In addition, the vaccine containing CaPNP provided equal protection with 1/3rd of the antigen dose as compared to the non-adjuvanted or alum-adjuvanted vaccines. Our data provided support to earlier studies indicating that CaPNP is an attractive vaccine adjuvant and delivery system and should play an important role in the development of safe and efficacious dose-sparing vaccines. Our findings also warrant further investigation to validate CaPNP's capacity as an alternative adjuvant to the ones currently licensed for influenza/pandemic influenza vaccination.

Adverse event monitoring of the human papillomavirus vaccines in Scotland

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are currently utilised globally in national immunisation programmes. While evidence from clinical trials and epidemiological studies suggest that the HPV vaccines are both effective and safe, concerns about the safety of the vaccine and scientifically unproven associations with severe adverse events following immunisation have led to dramatic decreases in vaccine uptake in Japan and acceptance issues in other countries.

AIM

In Scotland, we utilised hospital admissions data to assess the impact of the HPV immunisation programme on the incidence of 60 diagnoses between 2004 and 2014 in both girls and boys; with boys acting as a comparator group.

METHODS

Tabular and graphical outputs of the number of admissions, the incidence and the incidence ratio of 59 diagnoses were created to assess trends before and after the introduction of the HPV vaccine. Data linkage was utilised to investigate further the increase in Bell palsy diagnoses.

RESULTS

Fifty-four diagnoses showed no change in incidence following the introduction of the national immunisation programme, and while small increases in incidence were observed for Bell palsy, coeliac disease, ovarian dysfunction, juvenile onset of type 1 diabetes, demyelinating disease and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, none was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with previous evidence, we present disaggregate data that reiterate the safety of both HPV vaccines.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Influenza Vaccine Uptake in US Children

BACKGROUND

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly used in the United States. Although CAM is mostly used in conjunction with conventional medicine, some CAM practitioners recommend against vaccination, and children who saw naturopathic physicians or chiropractors were less likely to receive vaccines and more likely to get vaccine-preventable diseases. Nothing is known about how child CAM usage affects influenza vaccination.

METHODS

This nationally representative study analyzed ∼9000 children from the Child Complementary and Alternative Medicine File of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Adjusting for health services use factors, it examined influenza vaccination odds by ever using major CAM domains: (1) alternative medical systems (AMS; eg, acupuncture); (2) biologically-based therapies, excluding multivitamins/multiminerals (eg, herbal supplements); (3) multivitamins/multiminerals; (4) manipulative and body-based therapies (MBBT; eg, chiropractic manipulation); and (5) mind-body therapies (eg, yoga).

RESULTS

Influenza vaccination uptake was lower among children ever (versus never) using AMS (33% vs 43%; P = .008) or MBBT (35% vs 43%; P = .002) but higher by using multivitamins/multiminerals (45% vs 39%; P < .001). In multivariate analyses, multivitamin/multimineral use lost significance, but children ever (versus never) using any AMS or MBBT had lower uptake (respective odds ratios: 0.61 [95% confidence interval: 0.44-0.85]; and 0.74 [0.58-0.94]).

CONCLUSIONS

Children who have ever used certain CAM domains that may require contact with vaccine-hesitant CAM practitioners are vulnerable to lower annual uptake of influenza vaccination. Opportunity exists for US public health, policy, and medical professionals to improve child health by better engaging parents of children using particular domains of CAM and CAM practitioners advising them.

Awareness and knowledge about human papillomavirus vaccination and its acceptance in China: a meta-analysis of 58 observational studies

Background

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been widely introduced in immunization programs worldwide, however, it is not accepted in mainland China. We aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge about HPV vaccines and explore the acceptability of vaccination among the Chinese population.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted across two English (PubMed, EMBASE) and three Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Database and VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals) electronic databases in order to identify HPV vaccination studies conducted in mainland China. We conducted and reported the analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results

Fifty-eight unique studies representing 19 provinces and municipalities in mainland China were assessed. The pooled awareness and knowledge rates about HPV vaccination were 15.95 % (95 % CI: 12.87–19.29, I² = 98.9 %) and 17.55 % (95 % CI: 12.38–24.88, I² = 99.8 %), respectively. The female population (17.39 %; 95 % CI: 13.06–22.20, I² = 98.8 %) and mixed population (18.55 %; 95 % CI: 14.14–23.42, I² = 98.8 %) exhibited higher HPV vaccine awareness than the male population (1.82 %; 95 % CI: 0.50–11.20, I² = 98.5 %). Populations of mixed ethnicity had lower HPV vaccine awareness (9.61 %; 95 % CI: 5.95–14.03, I² = 99.0 %) than the Han population (20.17 %; 95 % CI: 16.42–24.20, I² = 98.3 %). Among different regions, the HPV vaccine awareness was higher in EDA (17.57 %; 95 % CI: 13.36–22.21, I² = 98.0 %) and CLDA (17.78 %; 95 % CI: 12.18–24.19, I² = 97.6 %) than in WUDA (1.80 %; 95 % CI: 0.02–6.33, I² = 98.9 %). Furthermore, 67.25 % (95 % CI: 58.75–75.21, I² = 99.8 %) of participants were willing to be vaccinated, while this number was lower for their daughters (60.32 %; 95 % CI: 51.25–69.04, I² = 99.2 %). The general adult population (64.72 %; 95 % CI: 55.57–73.36, I² = 99.2 %) was more willing to vaccinate their daughters than the parent population (33.78 %; 95 % CI: 26.26–41.74, I² = 88.3 %). Safety (50.46 %; 95 % CI: 40.00–60.89, I² = 96.6 %) was the main concern about vaccination among the adult population whereas the safety and efficacy (68.19 %; 95 % CI: 53.13–81.52, I² = 98.6 %) were the main concerns for unwillingness to vaccinate their daughters.

Conclusions

Low HPV vaccine awareness and knowledge was observed among the Chinese population. HPV vaccine awareness differed across sexes, ethnicities, and regions. Given the limited quality and number of studies included, further research with improved study designis necessary.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2873-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Vaccine myths and misconceptions

Communicable diseases are on the rise worldwide. Some of the increase in prevalence of these nearly eradicated diseases is due to a decrease in vaccination rates. This decrease is primarily due to parental concerns over vaccine safety and the increasing rates of autism spectrum disorders. Medical providers must address the growing antivaccine movement and misconceptions about immunizations. Physician assistants are in a unique position to offer evidence-based medical advice and encourage immunizations in order to prevent disease outbreaks.

Factors contributing to suboptimal rates of childhood vaccinations in Vermont

Childhood immunizations are invaluable in preventing contagious diseases. Nonetheless, vaccines have become increasingly controversial with growing numbers of caregivers refusing to vaccinate their children. The percentage of fully vaccinated children in Vermont is one of the lowest nationally. This study set out to determine Vermont caregivers' attitudes toward immunizations to better explain why the percentage of fully vaccinated children has fallen in Vermont. A survey regarding caregivers' health care knowledge about children, their vaccination concerns, and their children's vaccination status was sent to participants in the Vermont Women, Infants and Children's Program from two districts. In total, 83% (n = 379) of respondents reported their children received all recommended vaccinations for their age. Respondents who considered themselves highly knowledgeable regarding their children's health care and confident about the safety of vaccinations were significantly associated with reporting their children as being current on vaccinations and with their intent to continue vaccinations. Respondents indicated highest concern regarding the safety and number of vaccinations administered during one visit. Primary care providers were indicated as important resources for addressing concerns about vaccinations and health care knowledge of children. The results help to understand low vaccination rates in Vermont and can be used for targeting health campaigns to improve vaccination rates.

A current and historical perspective on disparities in US childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine adherence and in rates of invasive pneumococcal disease: Considerations for the routinely-recommended, pediatric PCV dosing schedule in the United States

Previous research has suggested that reducing the US 4-dose PCV13 schedule to a 3-dose schedule may provide cost savings, despite more childhood pneumococcal disease. The study also stressed that dose reduction should be coupled with improved PCV adherence, however, US PCV uptake has leveled-off since 2008. An estimated 24–36% of US children aged 5–19 months are already receiving a reduced PCV schedule (i.e., missing ≥1 dose). This raises a practical concern that, under a reduced, 3-dose schedule, a similar proportion of children may receive ≤2 doses. It is also unknown if a reduced, 3-dose PCV schedule in the United States will afford the same disease protection as 3-dose schedules used elsewhere, given lower US PCV adherence. Finally, more assurance is needed that, under a reduced schedule, racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in PCV adherence will not correspond with disproportionately higher rates of pneumococcal disease among poor or minority children.

Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and the anti-vaccine movement: influence, impact and implications

Despite being recognized as one of the most successful public health measures, vaccination is perceived as unsafe and unnecessary by a growing number of parents. Anti-vaccination movements have been implicated in lowered vaccine acceptance rates and in the increase in vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and epidemics. In this review, we will look at determinants of parental decision-making about vaccination and provide an overview of the history of anti-vaccination movements and its clinical impact.

Attitudes affecting the potential use of human papillomavirus vaccination: a survey of health promotion students in Mexico City

Our aim was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of Mexican college students towards human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. We conducted a written questionnaire survey of a group of male and female undergraduate students in Health Promotion at the Autonomous University of Mexico City. A total of 163 subjects (40 males and 123 females, median age 24 years) took part. Only 13 % identified the risks factors of cervical cancer and 32 % knew the diseases caused by HPV. Females had a better knowledge than males on matters related to HPV vaccine. Seventy percent (110 of 157) of the respondents completely agreed on the importance of including protection against genital warts in the vaccine. Eighty-eight percent (141/161) of subjects would have accepted receiving the vaccine, but 8 % (13/161) were ambivalent. There was a strong desire in this group of young adults who are not yet included in the current vaccination programs to receive the HPV vaccine, preferably the quadrivalent one. In conclusion, attitudes towards vaccination could be complex and opposed.

Formal training in vaccine safety to address parental concerns not routinely conducted in U.S. pediatric residency programs

OBJECTIVE

To determine if U.S. pediatric residency programs provide formal training in vaccine safety to address parental vaccine concerns.

METHODS

An electronic survey was mailed to all members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) to assess (1) if U.S. pediatric residency programs were providing formal vaccine safety training, (2) the content and format of the training if provided, and (3) interest in a training module for programs without training. Two follow-up surveys were mailed at 2 week intervals. Responses to the survey were collected at 4 weeks following the last mailing and analyzed. Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of program size on the likelihood of vaccine safety training. Pearson's chi square was used to compare programs with and without formal vaccine safety training in 5 U.S. regions.

RESULTS

The survey was sent to 199 APPD members; 92 completed the survey (response rate 46.2%). Thirty-eight respondents (41%) had formal training in vaccine safety for pediatric residents at their programs; 54 (59%) did not. Of those that did not, the majority (81.5%) were interested in formal vaccine safety training for their residents. Of all respondents, 78% agreed that training in vaccine safety was a high priority for resident education. Thirty-five percent of all respondents agreed that local parental attitudes about vaccines influenced the likelihood of formal vaccine safety training.

CONCLUSION

Most pediatric residency programs surveyed do not include formal training on vaccine safety; yet, such training is supported by pediatric residency program directors as a priority for pediatric residents.

Suppression by thimerosal of ex-vivo CD4+ T cell response to influenza vaccine and induction of apoptosis in primary memory T cells

Thimerosal is a preservative used widely in vaccine formulations to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination in multidose vials of vaccine. Thimerosal was included in the multidose non-adjuvanted pandemic 2009 H1N1 vaccine Panenza. In the context of the analysis of the ex-vivo T cell responses directed against influenza vaccine, we discovered the in vitro toxicity Panenza, due to its content in thimerosal. Because thimerosal may skew the immune response to vaccines, we investigated in detail the ex-vivo effects of thimerosal on the fate and functions of T cells in response to TCR ligation. We report that ex-vivo exposure of quiescent or TCR-activated primary human T cells to thimerosal induced a dose-dependent apoptotic cell death associated with depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, generation of reactive oxygen species, cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and caspase-3 activation. Moreover, exposure to non-toxic concentrations of thimerosal induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase of TCR-activated T cells, and inhibition of the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN gamma, IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, IL-2, as well as the chemokine MCP1. No shift towards Th2 or Th17 cells was detected. Overall these results underline the proapoptotic effect of thimerosal on primary human lymphocytes at concentrations 100 times less to those contained in the multidose vaccine, and they reveal the inhibitory effect of this preservative on T-cell proliferation and functions at nanomolar concentrations.

Safety of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and inactivated poliovirus (DTaP-IPV) vaccine

BACKGROUND

In 2008, a diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, and inactivated poliovirus combined vaccine (DTaP-IPV) was licensed for use in children 4 through 6 years of age. While pre-licensure studies did not demonstrate significant safety concerns, the number vaccinated in these studies was not sufficient to examine the risk of uncommon but serious adverse events.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the risk of serious adverse events following DTaP-IPV vaccination.

METHODS

The study was conducted from January 2009 through September 2012 in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) project. In the VSD, electronic vaccination and encounter data are updated and aggregated weekly as part of ongoing surveillance activities. Based on previous reports and biologic plausibility, eight potential adverse events were monitored: meningitis/encephalitis; seizures; stroke; Guillain-Barré syndrome; Stevens-Johnson syndrome; anaphylaxis; serious allergic reactions other than anaphylaxis; and serious local reactions. Adverse event rates in DTaP-IPV recipients were compared to historical incidence rates in the VSD population prior to 2009. Sequential probability ratio testing was used to analyze the data on a weekly basis.

RESULTS

During the study period, 201,116 children received DTaP-IPV vaccine. Ninety-seven percent of DTaP-IPV recipients also received other vaccines on the same day, typically measles-mumps-rubella and varicella vaccines. There was no statistically significant increased risk of any of the eight pre-specified adverse events among DTaP-IPV recipients when compared to historical incidence rates.

CONCLUSIONS

In this safety surveillance study of more than 200,000 DTaP-IPV vaccine recipients, there was no evidence of increased risk for any of the pre-specified adverse events monitored. Continued surveillance of DTaP-IPV vaccine safety may be warranted to monitor for rare adverse events, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Vaccines and autoimmunity

Vaccines have eradicated or controlled many infectious diseases, saving each year millions of lives and quality of life of many other millions of people. In spite of the success of vaccines over the last two centuries, parents (and also some health care workers) gloss over the devastating consequences of diseases, which are now avoided thanks to vaccines, and direct their attention to possible negative effects of immunization. Three immunological objections are raised: vaccines cause antigenic overload, natural immunity is safer and better than vaccine-induced immunity, and vaccines induce autoimmunity. The last point is examined in this review. Theoretically, vaccines could trigger autoimmunity by means of cytokine production, anti-idiotypic network, expression of human histocompatibility leukocyte antigens, modification of surface antigens and induction of novel antigens, molecular mimicry, bystander activation, epitope spreading, and polyclonal activation of B cells. There is strong evidence that none of these mechanisms is really effective in causing autoimmune diseases. Vaccines are not a source of autoimmune diseases. By contrast, absolute evidence exists that infectious agents can trigger autoimmune mechanisms and that they do cause autoimmune diseases.

Parents who refuse to vaccinate their infants: paediatricians' feelings and treatment intentions

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate paediatricians' attitudes and emotions towards parents who refuse to vaccinate their infants and to assess their reactions, suggestions and practices.

DESIGN

The study group consisted of 376 paediatricians in Israel, who completed the emailed research questionnaire anonymously.

RESULTS

Although the vast majority of paediatricians agreed that vaccination was in the baby's best interest (92.2%), only a small percentage (3.5%) felt that there should be some scientific justification behind a parent's refusal. The majority (70.7%) of those surveyed expressed negative feelings towards refusing parents. Despite this, more than a third (36.9%) agreed that parents have the right to decide (28.9% disagreed) and a third (36.8%) agreed that vaccinations should be officially enforced (35.8% disagreed). Only a very small percentage of the paediatricians (1.8%) said they would object to treating infants who had not been vaccinated.

CONCLUSION

Paediatricians face a conflict between two opposing values: the importance of immunization versus the parents' rights to decide what is best for their own child. Therefore, they are in favour of gentle persuasion or official enforcement. We believe that experts in modern communication could help paediatricians to convey the positive benefits of vaccination to parents.

Vaccine refusal and the endgame: walking the last mile first

As multiple papers within this special issue illustrate, the dynamics of disease eradication are different from disease control. When it comes to disease eradication, 'the last mile is longest'. For social and ecological reasons such as vaccine refusal, further ending incidence of a disease when it has reached low levels is frequently complex. Issues of non-compliance within a target population often influence the outcome of disease eradication efforts. Past eradication efforts confronted such obstacles towards the tail end of the campaign, when disease incidence was lowest. This article provides a comparison of non-compliance within polio, measles and smallpox campaigns, demonstrating the tendency of vaccine refusal to rise as disease incidence falls. In order to overcome one of the most intractable challenges to eradication, future disease eradication efforts must prioritize vaccine refusal from the start, i.e. 'walk the last mile first'.

Parental refusal of vaccination and transplantation listing decisions: a nationwide survey

Many professional societies and research studies recommend complete vaccination before pediatric solid organ transplantation. Nevertheless, incompletely vaccinated children often receive transplants. As the number of parents refusing to vaccinate children for nonmedical reasons increases, pediatric transplantation programs face difficult listing decisions. Given the importance of psychosocial criteria in listing decisions, this study explores how parental refusal of vaccination affects those listing decisions. Surveys were emailed to individuals at 195 pediatric solid organ transplantation programs in the United States, with a 71% response rate. Forty-four respondents (39%) reported that their programs have had cases involving parental refusal of vaccination. In response to hypothetical scenarios, 93 respondents (82%) would list a child not vaccinated for medical reasons, whereas only 54 respondents (47%) would list a child whose parents refused vaccination. Only five respondents (4%) reported that their programs had written policies regarding parental refusal of vaccination. These data reveal inconsistencies across pediatric transplantation programs regarding how parental refusal of vaccination affects listing decisions and raise the issue of whether and how the reason for incomplete vaccination should be factored into listing decisions. We recommend further discussion and the development of written guidelines to unify programs' assessments of incompletely vaccinated pediatric transplantation candidates.

Are Recent Medical Graduates More Skeptical of Vaccines?

Rates of delay and refusal of recommended childhood vaccines are increasing in many U.S. communities. Children’s health care providers have a strong influence on parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about vaccines. Provider attitudes towards immunizations vary and affect their immunization advocacy. One factor that may contribute to this variability is their familiarity with vaccine-preventable diseases and their sequelae. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of health care provider year of graduation with vaccines and vaccine-preventable disease beliefs. We conducted a cross sectional survey in 2005 of primary care providers identified by parents of children whose children were fully vaccinated or exempt from one or more school immunization requirements. We examined the association of provider graduation cohort (5 years) with beliefs on immunization, disease susceptibility, disease severity, vaccine safety, and vaccine efficacy. Surveys were completed by 551 providers (84.3% response rate). More recent health care provider graduates had 15% decreased odds of believing vaccines are efficacious compared to graduates from a previous 5 year period; had lower odds of believing that many commonly used childhood vaccines were safe; and 3.7% of recent graduates believed that immunizations do more harm than good. Recent health care provider graduates have a perception of the risk-benefit balance of immunization, which differs from that of their older counterparts. This change has the potential to be reflected in their immunization advocacy and affect parental attitudes.

Parental perspectives of vaccine safety and experience of adverse events following immunisation

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to determine demographic predictors of parental vaccine safety and risk perceptions, and assess the relationship between the occurrence of children's perceived adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) on parents' opinions.

METHODS

Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted in 2011 with a cross-sectional, random general population sample of rural and metropolitan residents in South Australia. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses examined associations between parental vaccine safety attitudes and socio-demographic factors, adjusting for whether children had ever experienced a previous suspected AEFI.

RESULTS

Of 469 parents interviewed, 95% were confident in vaccine safety in general, but almost half expressed concern for pre-licensure testing of vaccines. Of all parents, 41% responded that at least one of their children had experienced an AEFI. Almost one third of the AEFI parent group indicated they reported their children's symptoms to either a healthcare professional or the Department of Health. Parental acceptability of the risks of febrile convulsion and anaphylaxis were 73% and 76% respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed parents of children who had experienced a suspected AEFI were associated with greater concern for vaccine safety (OR:0.53, p≤0.01) and more were likely to expect either a mild or a serious AEFI. After adjusting for demographics, parental confidence in vaccine safety was significantly associated with higher levels of education (OR:2.58, p=0.01) and being born in Australia OR:2.30, p=0.004. Mothers, when compared with fathers, were less accepting of the two vaccine risks presented: febrile convulsion (OR:0.57, p=0.04) and anaphylaxis, (OR:0.55, p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Parents commonly perceive and report that their child has experienced an AEFI. In this group of parents the subsequent expectation of an AEFI and vaccine safety concerns may be heightened. Further research should investigate parental understandings of differentiating an expected event from an adverse event as this could inform immunization risk communication and consumer AEFI reporting strategies.

A randomized trial to increase acceptance of childhood vaccines by vaccine-hesitant parents: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

A cluster randomized trial was performed to evaluate an educational intervention to improve parental attitudes and vaccine uptake in vaccine-hesitant parents.

METHODS

Two primary care sites were randomized to provide families with either usual care or an intervention (video and written information) for vaccine-hesitant parents. Eligible parents included those presenting for their child's 2-week well-child visit with performance on the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey suggesting vaccine hesitancy (score ≥25). Enrollees completed PACV surveys at the 2-month well-child visit and vaccination status at 12 weeks of age was assessed. The primary outcome was the difference in PACV scores obtained at enrollment and 2 months between the 2 groups. The proportion of on-time vaccination was also compared at 12 weeks.

RESULTS

A total of 454 parents were approached, and 369 (81.3%) participated; 132 had PACV scores of ≥25 and were enrolled, 67 in the control group (mean PACV score 37) and 55 in the intervention group (mean PACV score 40). Two-month PACV surveys were completed by 108 (∼90%) of enrollees. Parents in the intervention group had a significant decrease in PACV score at 2 months compared to control (median difference 6.7, P = .049); this remained significant after adjustment for baseline PACV score, race/ethnicity, and income (P = .044). There was no difference in the on-time receipt of vaccines between groups at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

A brief educational intervention for vaccine-hesitant parents was associated with a modest but significant increase in measured parental attitudes toward vaccines.

Individualism, acceptance and differentiation as attitude traits in the public's response to vaccination

The attitude of the general public to vaccination was evaluated through a survey conducted on a representative sample of the Israeli population (n = 2,018), in which interviewees were requested to express their standpoints regarding five different vaccination programs. These included: pandemic influenza vaccination, seasonal influenza vaccination, travel vaccines, Human Papilloma Virus vaccine and childhood vaccinations. Analysis of the responses reveal three major attitude traits: a) acceptance, characterized by the opinion that targets should be vaccinated; b) individualism, characterized by the opinion that vaccination should be left to personal choice; and c) differentiation, characterized by the tendency to express different attitudes when addressing different vaccination programs. Interestingly, direct opposition to vaccination was found to be a minor attitude trait in this survey. Groups within the population could be defined according to their tendency to assume these different attitudes as Acceptors, Judicious-acceptors, Differentiators, Soft-individualists, and Hard-individualists. These groups expressed different standpoints on all five vaccination programs as well as on other health recommendations, such as screening for early detection of cancer. Attitude traits could be also correlated, to a certain extent, with actual compliance with vaccination programs. Interestingly, attitudes to vaccination were not correlated with social profiles related to income or education, although younger individuals exhibited higher degrees of individualism and differentiation. Taken together, all this is in accordance with the current social settings, underlining the individual's tendency for critical evaluation and self-stirring. This should be taken into consideration by health authorities involved in vaccination programs.

The prevalence and genotype of human papillomavirus on cervical samples from an Irish female population with external genital warts

The aim of this study was to determine the cervical genotype profile of females who presented to an STI Clinic with external genital warts (EGW); and to determine the potential vaccine coverage prior to the uptake of the HPV vaccines. Sixty-one cervical scrapings were taken from females aged 18-35 y who had external genital warts or a history of external genital warts. The resulting 50 samples that were positive for HPV-DNA were subjected to genotype identification. Forty-six of these samples had detectable genotypes by LIPA analysis and most (78%, 36/46) had multiple low risk (LR) and high risk (HR) genotypes on the cervix. Twenty-five of these samples (54%) had more than 1 HR genotype. Of the 36 patients who had any HR genotypes, 18 (50%) were identified to have the most oncogenic HPV genotypes, namely 16 and 18. Three of these samples had both 16 and 18 on the cervix. The presence of multiple HR genotypes on the majority of cervical samples from a self-referred population of females with EGW is presented. This study is of importance since persistent HR-HPV is the necessary risk factor in the development of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix. Gardisil, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine would have been useful in the prevention of 28% (13/46) of these infections.

What affects human papillomavirus vaccination rates? A qualitative analysis of providers' perceptions

PURPOSE

To define factors that providers perceive as affecting their administration of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in their clinical practices.

METHODS

We conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews with 34 pediatric and family medicine providers in four community health centers to explore providers' perceptions of factors that either enabled or impeded their ability to vaccinate their patients against HPV.

RESULTS

Providers' self-reported vaccination rates ranged from 25 to 95% (median, 75%) of the 11- to 26-year-old females in their practices. Factors that enabled vaccination included providers' beliefs that HPV vaccines were safe and would provide important health benefits, structured visits that promoted vaccination, and coadministration of HPV with other recommended vaccines. Factors that impeded vaccination included safety concerns, a low perceived severity of HPV disease, lack of school mandates, and policies against coadministration of HPV and meningococcal vaccines. Providers who described more enabling factors than impeding factors reported vaccinating more of their patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Provider perceptions around the ease or difficulty of providing HPV vaccination may influence their behavior when offering HPV vaccines to their patients.

Historical perspectives on autism: its past record of discovery and its present state of solipsism, skepticism, and sorrowful suspicion

Concepts of autism have evolved over the twentieth century after Bleuler coined the term to refer to symptoms of self-absorption in those with schizophrenia. Autism nosology changed to the current sesquipedalian constellation of autism spectrum disorders with a confusing archipelago of 5 conditions that often serve as islands of confusion to both the general public and professionals. This article reviews historical links that have led to the current confusing and controversial situation that is encouraging some people to return to magic, mysticism, and mantics for health care, despite the amazing accumulation of progress in vaccinology over the past 2 centuries.

Confidence about vaccines in the United States: understanding parents' perceptions

The United States has made tremendous progress in using vaccines to prevent serious, often infectious, diseases. But concerns about such issues as vaccines' safety and the increasing complexity of immunization schedules have fostered doubts about the necessity of vaccinations. We investigated parents' confidence in childhood vaccines by reviewing recent survey data. We found that most parents--even those whose children receive all of the recommended vaccines--have questions, concerns, or misperceptions about them. We suggest ways to give parents the information they need and to keep the US national vaccination program a success.

Parents' views about the vaccination program in Taiwan

PURPOSE

To investigate parents' views about new vaccines, we surveyed the attitudes and awareness toward immunization program among parents of children younger than 14 years in Taiwan.

METHODS

Parents of children were invited to complete a questionnaire in a tertiary referral medical center in Kaoshiung, southern Taiwan from 2006 to 2008. A total of 535 questionnaires were completed. We used descriptive data for the analysis of parents' views and attitudes toward the current vaccination program in Taiwan.

RESULTS

Of the 535 respondents, most parents (93%) did not think the current vaccination program was satisfactory. Few (approximately 8%) preferred self-paid vaccines. About 63% of parents believed that the new (self-paid) vaccines provided more protection, whereas 48% deemed them too expensive. The most popular reason for preferring the new vaccines was greater protection (73%). One-half of parents considered the new vaccines to be expensive. Regarding parental awareness of side effect of vaccination, fever was the most well known and of greatest concern (91%). Most parents (68%) had good awareness of conjugated pneumococcal vaccines, and only few (13%) had heard of the human papilloma virus vaccine. Most parental information of vaccines came from pamphlets at the hospital (56%).

CONCLUSION

We found the awareness of parents about new vaccines to be insufficient. They also considered the new vaccines to be expensive.