VACCINATION STATUS IN CHILDREN UNDER 8 YEARS AND ATTITUDES OF THEIR PARENTS

Abstract

Background: Vaccination plays a key role in preventive medicine worldwide. Turkey has adapted an advanced national extended vaccination program (NEVP) in recent years. Accordingly vaccination coverage rose dramatically in recent years. Attitudes of Parents are playing an inevitable role in the challenges toward vaccination issues. Aim: This study aims to determine the demographic traits, vaccination status, and attitudes of their parents regarding vaccination approaches. Design of Study: This study is designed as a cross-sectional observational survey Setting: The study was carried out at the pediatrics outpatient clinic of the Baskent University Ankara Hospital Methods: Parents with children aged 0-8 were asked between March – June 2013 to join the study voluntarily. 150 parents answered to a 12-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. For descriptive statistics mean±SD, minimum-maximum levels and percentages were used; continuous variables were analyzed using t- test and categorical variables using Chi-square tests. P values < 0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Results: In total 219 children of 150 families were enrolled. Mean age of the children was 2.73 years and all of them were fully vaccinated. Most were living in the city center (76.7%). Of the parents 10.7% were against paid vaccines, while 2% couldn’t afford them. 42% of families were positive about the HPV vaccine. Most of the families preferred their family physicians both in urban and rural areas for vaccination (61.7%, 68.6% respectively). Conclusion: The initiation of Family medicine in Turkey and the application of the NEVP have positively affected parents’ approaches towards vaccination.