tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Pediatrics
. 2024 Sep 6:e2024066819.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-066819. Online ahead of print. Perceived Effects of COVID-19 on Vaccine Hesitancy and Clinician Discussion: A Qualitative Study
Dennis Gurfinkel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caroline Tietbohl[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Emma Clark[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alison Saville[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Christina Albertin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sean T O'Leary[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Peter G Szilagyi[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Allison Kempe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background and objectives: Studies note a high prevalence of pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific vaccine hesitancy in the United States. Our objective was to assess whether clinicians perceive a spillover effect of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy onto other vaccines, and the impact of this spillover on their general recommendation behavior.
Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with pediatricians in California and Colorado pediatric practices (January-March 2023). We transcribed, coded, and analyzed interviews using content analysis.
Results: We interviewed 21 pediatricians (10 in California, 11 in Colorado). Clinicians observed some spillover effect of vaccine-favorable changes among some parents and greater hesitancy among others regarding the risks and benefits of childhood vaccination in general. This spillover was informed by 2 divergent patterns of parental trust in health systems and individual clinicians caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors driving perceived changes included media coverage, greater knowledge about vaccination, and misinformation. Some clinicians felt that their approach to vaccine recommendations became more patient-centered, whereas others reported declining engagement in persuading hesitant parents about vaccination.
Conclusions: Clinicians described a hardening of parental views toward vaccines in both directions, which impacted their recommendation behavior. There is a need for vaccine hesitancy monitoring and better training and support for clinicians facing vaccine hesitant parents.
. 2024 Sep 6:e2024066819.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-066819. Online ahead of print. Perceived Effects of COVID-19 on Vaccine Hesitancy and Clinician Discussion: A Qualitative Study
Dennis Gurfinkel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caroline Tietbohl[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Emma Clark[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Alison Saville[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Christina Albertin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sean T O'Leary[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Peter G Szilagyi[SUP] 3 5 [/SUP], Allison Kempe[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39238446
- DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-066819
Background and objectives: Studies note a high prevalence of pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific vaccine hesitancy in the United States. Our objective was to assess whether clinicians perceive a spillover effect of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy onto other vaccines, and the impact of this spillover on their general recommendation behavior.
Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with pediatricians in California and Colorado pediatric practices (January-March 2023). We transcribed, coded, and analyzed interviews using content analysis.
Results: We interviewed 21 pediatricians (10 in California, 11 in Colorado). Clinicians observed some spillover effect of vaccine-favorable changes among some parents and greater hesitancy among others regarding the risks and benefits of childhood vaccination in general. This spillover was informed by 2 divergent patterns of parental trust in health systems and individual clinicians caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors driving perceived changes included media coverage, greater knowledge about vaccination, and misinformation. Some clinicians felt that their approach to vaccine recommendations became more patient-centered, whereas others reported declining engagement in persuading hesitant parents about vaccination.
Conclusions: Clinicians described a hardening of parental views toward vaccines in both directions, which impacted their recommendation behavior. There is a need for vaccine hesitancy monitoring and better training and support for clinicians facing vaccine hesitant parents.