Reasons for delayed compliance with the childhood vaccination schedule and some failings of computerised vaccination registers

Abstract

ObjectiveTo identify reasons for delay in completing the primary vaccination schedule. MethodBrisbane, Queensland, 1995. Telephone interviews of a random sample of parents whose children according to a computerised database were fully vaccinated (100 parents) and parents whose children had commenced but not completed vaccination (200 parents). ResultsThe main reason for delaying vaccinations was medical advice to do so because of false contra-indications. The most significant factor in predicting timely vaccination, was the belief that giving vaccinations at the correct time was “very important”, odds ratio 2.07 (95% Cl 1.32-3.26). Eighty-six per cent of the children of interviewed parents from the group recorded as not fully vaccinated were in fact fully vaccinated. ConclusionsThe most important predictors of vaccination behaviour are the advice provided by medical practitioners and parental beliefs. Computerised vaccination records can seriously underestimate vaccination rates. ImplicationsVaccination providers and the public need accurate knowledge about both the need for timely vaccination and the real contraindications to vaccination. For a vaccination register to record vaccination status with accuracy, service providers need to be highly co-operative in completing and returning vaccination records, and central data entry needs to be comprehensive and accurate.