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The continuing erosion of the public’s faith in the safety of routine childhood immunizations is dishearteningly displayed today in a new physician survey that appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine’s May edition.
The study, lead by Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is based on the results of a nationwide survey of physicians that provide routine childhood immunizations.
The major finding is that the majority of surveyed physicians believe that parent’s concerns over vaccine safety have either greatly or moderately increased over the past 5 years.
Despite the discrediting of one of their highest profile anti-vaccination advocates; Dr. Andrew Wakefield, and the preponderance of scientific evidence showing excellent safety and efficacy of childhood vaccines, the anti-immunization rhetoric on the internet and in the media continues to escalate and to take its toll.
First, a link to the abstract, followed by a link to the University of Colorado Press release.
Prevalence of Parental Concerns About Childhood Vaccines:
The Experience of Primary Care Physicians
Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, Matthew F. Daley, MD, Mary M. McCauley, MSTC , Lori A. Crane, PhD, MPH , Christina A. Suh, MD , Allison M. Kennedy, MPH , Michelle M. Basket, BS , Shannon K. Stokley, MPH , Fran Dong, MS , Christine I. Babbel, MSPH , Laura A. Seewald, BS ,L. Miriam Dickinson, PhD
Results on national study of parental concerns about childhood vaccines announced
AURORA (April 13, 2011) – A new study led by Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Children's Outcomes Research (COR) Program at The Children's Hospital, reports the results of a national survey of primary care physicians who deliver vaccinations to children. Major findings include a majority of physicians think that parents' level of concern about vaccines has either greatly or moderately increased in the past five years and that they are spending a significant amount of time at well child visits discussing vaccine safety with parents. Relying only on discussion of vaccines at visits where vaccines are needed may be too time-consuming and inadequate and may compromise providers' ability to focus on other important health care topics.
The study, Prevalence of Parental Concerns about Childhood Vaccines: The Experience of Primary Care Physicians, publishes in the May issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine and online April 15.
According to the study results, in a typical month, 79 percent of physicians report at least one vaccine refusal; 8 percent report refusals for more than 10 percent of children. And, 89 percent report at least one request to spread out vaccines—20 percent report these requests for more than 10 percent of children.
Other study findings include the following:
- 40 percent of physicians always or often require parents to sign a form if they refuse a vaccination. Most physicians would agree to spread out vaccines in the primary series at least sometimes. Approximately 10 percent of physicians would often or always dismiss families from their practice if they refuse vaccines in the primary series and another 5 percent would sometimes do so.
- Although few physicians had considered no longer providing vaccines because of the need to discuss vaccine risks and benefits, about one-third of physicians reported that these discussions were negatively impacting their job satisfaction.
- From the physicians' perspective the most successful messages in convincing skeptical parents were personal ones, such as the fact that they vaccinated their own children or grandchildren, discussions of their personal experiences with vaccine safety or with vaccine-preventable diseases, or a statement that they think it is safer to vaccinate than not to vaccinate.
The Internet, along with social media, and the hundreds of media outlets that are now available 24/7 are incredibly powerful, but not always accurate, conveyors of information.
The anti-vaccination contingent has become expert in their usage to get their message out. Today’s study, sadly, gives credence to the idea that they are gaining ground.
For more on the anti-vaccination movement, you may wish to revisit:
Dr. Paul Offit: The Dangers Of The Anti-Vaccine Movement
Referral: TWiV and the `Panic Virus’
NEJM: The Age-Old Struggle against the Antivaccinationists
The Monsters Are Due On Vaccine Street
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