Outpatient Department, First Vienna Pediatric Medical Center, Vienna, Austria.
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Front Public Health. 2024 Sep 19;12:1438737. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1438737. eCollection 2024.
Vaccine hesitancy is considered a primary cause of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. The Austrian vaccination plan includes 24 vaccinations in the first 2 years of life, 12 for free and 12 subject to a fee. Since preterm babies are more susceptible to severe infections, immunization is a vital protection strategy. This study examines the routine immunization schedule recommended for children in Austria, the number of timely vaccinations, and the number of delayed and rejected vaccinations. Possible reasons for vaccination delays and rejection and potential influencing factors (preterm birth, COVID-19 pandemic, information sources) are also analyzed.
We included children aged 2 to 5 years who presented to Vienna's largest pediatric center with an Austrian mother-child pass and spent the first 2 years of their lives in Austria. Data was collected using questionnaires about the vaccination status, parents' reasons for any rejections or delays in the recommended vaccination regimen, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals' vaccination behavior, and child-specific influencing factors such as preterm birth and socioeconomic factors.
90% of the 150 study subjects follow the recommendations on routine vaccinations, while 40-62% accept vaccinations subject to a fee. Preterm infants received less fee-based (53%) as well as gratuitous (88%) vaccinations. While free vaccinations tend to be delayed, more fee based vaccinations are rejected. With free vaccinations, delays and refusals occur due to illness or missed appointments. In the case of fee- required vaccinations, however, fears of side effects are also one of the main reasons. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, about a quarter of parents have become more skeptical about vaccines. However, the vaccination rate of premature babies is usually just below that of full-term babies. Physicians remain the most trustworthy source of information about vaccinations.
Free vaccinations are more accepted by parents than fee based vaccinations. Preterm babies, which are a high risk group for vaccination preventable diseases, show a lower or delayed vaccination rate, which must be prevented through intensive doctor education. In addition, vaccination hesitancy changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs to be addressed during the medical consultation.
疫苗犹豫被认为是可预防传染病爆发的主要原因。奥地利的疫苗接种计划包括在生命的头 2 年接种 24 剂疫苗，其中 12 剂免费，12 剂收费。由于早产儿更容易受到严重感染，免疫接种是一种至关重要的保护策略。本研究检查了奥地利儿童推荐的常规免疫计划、及时接种的数量以及延迟和拒绝接种的数量。还分析了疫苗接种延迟和拒绝的可能原因以及潜在的影响因素（早产、COVID-19 大流行、信息来源）。
我们纳入了在维也纳最大的儿科中心就诊的年龄在 2 至 5 岁之间、母亲是奥地利人且在奥地利度过生命最初 2 年的儿童。使用有关疫苗接种状况的问卷收集数据，了解父母对推荐疫苗接种方案的任何拒绝或延迟的原因、COVID-19 大流行对个人疫苗接种行为的影响，以及儿童特定的影响因素，如早产和社会经济因素。
150 名研究对象中有 90%遵循常规疫苗接种建议，而 40-62%接受收费疫苗接种。早产儿接受的免费（53%）和收费（88%）疫苗接种较少。虽然免费疫苗接种往往会延迟，但更多的收费疫苗接种被拒绝。对于免费疫苗接种，延迟和拒绝是由于疾病或错过预约造成的。然而，对于收费疫苗接种，对副作用的担忧也是主要原因之一。由于 COVID-19 大流行，大约四分之一的父母对疫苗变得更加怀疑。然而，早产儿的疫苗接种率通常略低于足月婴儿。医生仍然是疫苗接种信息最值得信赖的来源。
与收费疫苗接种相比，父母更容易接受免费疫苗接种。早产儿是疫苗可预防疾病的高危人群，其接种率较低或延迟，必须通过加强医生教育来预防。此外，COVID-19 大流行期间疫苗犹豫情绪发生了变化，这需要在医疗咨询中解决。
