Common attitudes about concomitant vaccine injections for infants and adolescents in Flanders, Belgium

Vaccine. 2009 Mar 18;27(13):1964-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.01.096. Epub 2009 Jan 31.

Abstract

Quantitative information on parents' preferences regarding multiple vaccine injections and on work-loss due to vaccination is important to guide decision making on the use of combination vaccines for universal vaccination. Our survey in families of 1347 toddlers (18 -- 24 months) and 1315 adolescents residing in Flanders, Belgium, revealed common attitudes in both age groups. The majority of parents would allow maximum two injections in one visit. 39% were not willing to pay anything to avoid a concomitant injection, whereas the remainder mentioned amounts around a median of c.20. The responses were hardly influenced by the socioeconomic determinants studied and the concordance between the number of concomitant injections parents would allow and their willingness-to-pay assessed by an open-ended question was limited, which suggests that more sensitive quantification using other methods would be useful. Work-loss due to vaccination was assessed for infants only and was rare (4.5%).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Belgium
  • Female
  • Health Expenditures
  • Humans
  • Immunization Schedule
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Vaccination / economics
  • Vaccination / psychology*