Cherian Vinu, Saini Narinder Kumar, Sharma Arun Kumar, Philip Joel
Department of Community Medicine, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala 683594, India.
Department of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, New Delhi 110095, India.
J Public Health (Oxf). 2022 Mar 7;44(1):70-76. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab007.
The immunization program has been an important part of Indian public health policy for three decades; yet only 62% of children are being fully immunized. Vaccine hesitancy is a major contributor to the immunization gap that needs to be addressed.
A cross-sectional descriptive study of prevalence and predictors of vaccine hesitancy was conducted in 350 households having at least one child in the age group of 13-24 months. Statistical analysis was done using chi-square test and logistic regression.
The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was 28.9%. Fear of needles, concern about pain during vaccination, lack of family support, and apprehension regarding side effects were ascertained as reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The type of family, time taken to reach the health facility and antenatal care received by the mother were significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy.
The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was found to be high. In 2019, the World Health Organization earmarked vaccine hesitancy as one of the major roadblocks to better global health. A better understanding of the subject can help public health agencies enhance vaccination coverage, not just in children but also as a tool to protect entire populations in this age of re-emerging epidemics.
三十年来，免疫规划一直是印度公共卫生政策的重要组成部分；然而，只有62%的儿童得到了充分免疫。疫苗犹豫是导致免疫差距的一个主要因素，需要加以解决。
对350户有至少一名13至24个月龄儿童的家庭进行了一项关于疫苗犹豫患病率及预测因素的横断面描述性研究。采用卡方检验和逻辑回归进行统计分析。
疫苗犹豫的患病率为28.9%。害怕打针、担心接种疫苗时的疼痛、缺乏家庭支持以及对副作用的担忧被确定为疫苗犹豫的原因。家庭类型、到达医疗机构所需时间以及母亲接受的产前护理是疫苗犹豫的重要预测因素。
发现疫苗犹豫的患病率很高。2019年，世界卫生组织将疫苗犹豫列为改善全球健康的主要障碍之一。更好地了解这一问题有助于公共卫生机构提高疫苗接种覆盖率，不仅在儿童中，而且作为在这一流行病重新出现的时代保护整个人口的一种工具。
