Hesitancy towards Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and its socio-demographic correlates among parents attending to children aged

Abstract

Problem consideredJapanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease with a vaccine as the main preventive strategy. Vaccine hesitancy among parents can pose a threat to the success of child vaccination programmes. ObjectivesTo determine the level of awareness regarding the transmission, treatment and sequelae of JE, assess the levels and determining factors of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among parents accompanying their children aged <15 years to the study hospitals. MethodsThis hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 204 parents of children aged <15 years from February to May 2023. Data were collected using a pretested validated proforma and analysed using Jamovi software 2.3. Chi-square test and Binary Logistic Regression analyses were used. ResultsAmong, the 204 study participants (mean age 29.6 (±3.65) years), 73% (n = 129) were aged </ = 30 years, 71.1% (n = 145) were aware of the presence of JE in the study area. Awareness about transmission and consequences was less than 30%. Overall vaccine hesitancy was 84.3% (n = 172); it was higher among those >30 years (85.3% versus 83.7% among </ = 30 years, with >2 children (90% versus 84.0% among those having </ = 2 children). With overall 72.5% vaccine acceptance, participants aged ≤30 years (OR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.01–4.34; p = 0.047) and those aware of JE cases in the area (OR 27.76 (95% CI, 12.67–65.53), p < 0001), had higher vaccine acceptance rate. ConclusionThe participants had high level of awareness about JE cases being reported; lack of knowledge regarding the JE transmission, treatment, and consequences; high JE vaccine hesitancy and low acceptance rate.