The Impact of a Single Educational Lecture on the Vaccine Confidence among Pregnant Women and Young Mothers.

BACKGROUND

We investigated the impact of a single unstructured educational lecture about vaccinations on the vaccine confidence in volunteer participants.

METHODS

We conducted a survey-based study during a series of open meetings related to pregnancy and parenting. Before and after the pediatrician's lecture related to vaccinations, listeners completed the visual analogue scales (VAS, 0-15 cm), evaluating (1) self-declared knowledge on vaccinations and (2) how they perceive the safety and efficacy of this preventive method.

RESULTS

In total, 484 women aged 30 ± 4 years participated in the lecture (pregnant = 68%; ≥1 children = 56%). Participants declared to have more comprehensive knowledge on preventive vaccinations and perceived vaccines to be safer and more useful (the role for the immunity) after vs. before the lecture (median VAS: 10.4 vs. 7.2, 10.8 vs. 8.7, and 11.0 vs. 10.4 cm, all < 0.001). Importantly, the prevalence of vaccine-related adverse events was also assessed as being higher after the lecture (median VAS: 9.9 vs. 8.0 cm, < 0.001). The increase in self-declared knowledge on vaccinations and perceived need for vaccinations (delta VAS-VAS after minus before the lecture, expressed as % of baseline) was lower among participants who rated the lecture less vs. more useful. Importantly, both participants who liked vs. did not like the lecture comparably rated vaccines safer after vs. before the lecture (delta VAS (median, interquartile range): 16% (0-39%) vs. 18% (2-42%), = 0.39).

CONCLUSIONS

An educational lecture on vaccinations positively impacts vaccine confidence in young adult women. Irrespective of the subjective rating of the lecture, all listeners perceived vaccinations to be safer after vs. before the speech.