A NEW Australia-wide survey has revealed the reasons why some parents do not intend to vaccinate their children against influenza, with pharmacists well placed to address key barriers.
The research also offers important insights into the concerning decline in flu vaccination since the onset of the COVID pandemic (PD 05 Mar).
Researchers from the National Vaccination Insights project conducted a national survey of 2,000 parents to understand the barriers to the uptake of flu vaccines among kids under five.
The researchers calculated how common access barriers (practical difficulties) and acceptance barriers (thoughts, feelings and social influences) were among parents who plan to vaccinate their child versus those who do not.
"The barrier of not prioritising childhood flu vaccination over other things represented the largest difference between not-intending and intending parents," said Dr Kasia Bolsewicz, Research Fellow at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS).
"This can be a result of parents choosing not to prioritise, or being unable to prioritise due to practical challenges, such as difficulty booking flu vaccination appointments, managing competing priorities, organising transport to the clinic and taking time off work," Dr Bolsewicz added.
Just over half of parents (54.3%) who did not intend to vaccinate their child said they would not feel guilty if their child got the flu, compared with only 7.5% of intending parents.
The researchers said that this signals the need for renewed awareness that infants and children under five years of age have a higher risk of flu-related complications, hospitalisation and morbidity than older children.
"Perennial strategies are required to move this needle," Dr Maryke Steffens, Research Fellow at NCIRS.
"Childhood flu vaccination needs to be more accessible for parents with limited time and resources.
"Parents also need up-to-date information about the importance of annual flu vaccinations and the risk of severe flu illness (even in healthy children), and flu vaccine safety and effectiveness data need to be shared more widely.
"Healthcare workers also require support to discuss and recommend flu vaccination opportunistically, not just during scheduled vaccination appointments," emphasised Dr Steffens.
At present, only pharmacists in Queensland and South Australia can vaccinate children under five, but pharmacists in other states can inform parents about the importance of flu vaccination and risks of a severe case of flu.
The research is available HERE. KB
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