Attitudes and beliefs about vaccination among adults in the United States: A real-world, cross-sectional, web-based survey study.

BACKGROUND

Approaches best suited for encouraging adults to vaccinate themselves may differ from those for encouraging parents to vaccinate their children.

OBJECTIVES

To describe vaccine hesitancy and literacy among the US adult population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey assessed vaccine hesitancy and literacy among the US adult population (aged 18-60), grouped by their role as decision makers (parents for their children aged <18 vs. adults for themselves). Results were also examined among adults without children aged <18 by race and by household income. Data were collected using multiple-choice questions, which are reported as numbers and percentages, or a 5-point Likert scale.

RESULTS

Respondents included 1875 adults: 1183 adults without children aged <18 (63.1 %) and 692 parents of children aged <18 (36.9 %). Respondents generally agreed that vaccines are safe, effective, and a good way to protect themselves or their families. Respondents generally disagreed that vaccines are dangerous and overused and were neutral to claiming religious exemptions from vaccination. Most respondents trusted vaccines that had been available for two years or less (59.7 %). Respondents received most vaccine information from doctors' offices, public health sources, or pharmacies. Comparing parents with other adults, parents followed advice from friends, family, and colleagues more than other adults (p < 0.001) and parents felt they understood vaccine information better than other adults (p < 0.001). Parents were also more comfortable researching vaccine information than were other adults (p = 0.005). Adults reported pharmacies were most convenient of all points of care, and parents reported them second most convenient.

CONCLUSIONS

Education about vaccine safety and the importance of childhood vaccinations among social networks may increase acceptance among vaccine-hesitant parents. Strategies focusing on increasing vaccine promotion at pharmacies may be effective for reducing vaccine hesitancy for all adults.