What is already known about this topic?: Pneumococcal diseases (PDs) pose a serious health threat to children. Vaccination is the most cost-effective intervention to prevent PDs, but pneumococcal vaccines coverage among children is low in China.
What is added by this report?: This study investigated the willingness of children's caregivers to have their children vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccines under an innovative policy to offer 1-dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines at no charge to families. The research found that 70.51% of caregivers were willing to have their infants receive pneumococcal vaccines and that reducing the cost of vaccines may increase caregivers' willingness.
What are the implications for public health practice?: This is the first evaluation in China of acceptance of pneumococcal vaccines among children under a 1-dose, cost-free policy. The results provide scientific evidence for updating local and national pneumococcal immunization strategies to promote the use of the pneumococcal vaccine.
Keywords: Children; Immunization strategy; Pneumococcal vaccine.
Copyright and License information: Editorial Office of CCDCW, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2022.