Samara Kamel A, Barqawi Hiba Jawdat, Alhayali Deema M, Kannas Samah Mohamed, Elmorsy Rim M, Abu-Gharbieh Eman
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Jefferson Abington Hospital, Abington, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 May 20;20(5):e0324629. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324629. eCollection 2025.
The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly effective, but vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a key barrier to achieving herd immunity. This study aims to assess the general attitudes and knowledge of UAE parents regarding measles and the MMR vaccine while identifying determinants of VH.
A cross-sectional study was done from 15th April 2024 and 5th June 2024. This study recruited 462 parents residing in the UAE using convenience sampling. Recruitment occurred through various social media platforms including WhatsApp, X, and Instagram, as well as in public by approaching parents in parks and malls. Information collected included demographic factors, measles knowledge, MMR attitudes and practices as well general vaccine attitudes using the Parental Attitudes toward Childhood Vaccines (PACV) and the WHO Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS). Univariate, bivariate (chi-squared tests) and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were conducted to identify significant factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy.
Of 462 participants, 87% were female, 41% were young adults, and 13.0% were healthcare workers. 15.6% of parents had no knowledge about measles and 20.0% had not heard of the MMR vaccine before. Healthcare professionals and specialist doctors were the most trusted sources of information regarding measles. Symptoms and transmission were generally well-recognized but there was a lack of knowledge regarding measles' severity, epidemiology, and complications. 11.5% of parents believed the MMR vaccine can cause autism and 21.65% of parents (95% CI: 18.1-25.6%) were vaccine hesitant. Intention to vaccinate against measles was the strongest predictor of reduced vaccine hesitancy (AOR: 0.242, 95% CI: 0.143-0.410), followed by being middle-aged/older (AOR: 0.466, 95% CI: 0.281-0.772) and interest in learning more about measles (AOR: 0.394, 95% CI: 0.185-0.840).
In the UAE, there are knowledge gaps regarding measles and concerns regarding the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine's safety and efficacy. Parents who refuse MMR vaccination often demonstrate general vaccine hesitancy, necessitating prompt action to reestablish trust in the local vaccine programs and promote vaccination.
麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹（MMR）疫苗非常有效，但疫苗犹豫是实现群体免疫的关键障碍。本研究旨在评估阿联酋父母对麻疹和MMR疫苗的总体态度和知识，同时确定疫苗犹豫的决定因素。
于2024年4月15日至2024年6月5日进行了一项横断面研究。本研究采用便利抽样法招募了462名居住在阿联酋的父母。通过包括WhatsApp、X和Instagram在内的各种社交媒体平台，以及在公园和商场向父母进行宣传等方式进行招募。收集的信息包括人口统计学因素、麻疹知识、MMR态度和做法以及使用儿童疫苗家长态度量表（PACV）和世界卫生组织疫苗犹豫量表（VHS）的总体疫苗态度。进行单变量、双变量（卡方检验）和多变量（逻辑回归）分析，以确定导致疫苗犹豫的重要因素。
在462名参与者中，87%为女性，41%为年轻人，13.0%为医护人员。15.6%的父母对麻疹一无所知，20.0%的父母之前从未听说过MMR疫苗。医护专业人员和专科医生是关于麻疹最值得信赖的信息来源。症状和传播方式通常得到较好的认知，但对麻疹的严重性、流行病学和并发症缺乏了解。11.5%的父母认为MMR疫苗会导致自闭症，21.65%的父母（95%置信区间：18.1 - 25.6%）对疫苗持犹豫态度。接种麻疹疫苗的意愿是降低疫苗犹豫的最强预测因素（调整后比值比：0.242，95%置信区间：0.143 - 0.410），其次是中年/老年（调整后比值比：0.466，95%置信区间：0.281 - 0.772）以及对了解更多麻疹知识有兴趣（调整后比值比：0.394，95%置信区间：0.185 - 0.840）。
在阿联酋，关于麻疹存在知识差距，并且对麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹疫苗的安全性和有效性存在担忧。拒绝接种MMR疫苗的父母通常表现出总体疫苗犹豫，因此需要迅速采取行动，重新建立对当地疫苗计划的信任并促进疫苗接种。
