Why are children not being immunised? Barriers to immunisation uptake in South Devon

Abstract

Objective To identify local factors contributing to poor immunisation uptake.

Design A multidesign study using quantitative and qualitative methods. Setting South Devon - a rural, relatively affluent area.

Method In addition to using routinely available data, postal surveys, semi- structured and focus group interviews were used as a means of gathering new data.

Results As well as highlighting different parental and health professional perceptions of the reason for low uptake, the study identified a number of factors such as consent, training of health professionals and the accuracy and timeliness of data collection that were contributing to the inadequate immunisation uptake.

Conclusion The study has shown a range of factors contributing to whether or not a child is immunised. There is a clinical governance issue to ensure improvement in the quality of the service provided for children and their families. Accredited training should be a mandatory require ment for everyone giving immunisations.

Keywords

childhood immunisation consent communication skills risk

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre. MMR vaccine coverage falls in the United Kingdom. Communicable Disease Report Weekly, 2000: 9: 37.

McCormick L. , Bartholomew L. , Lewis M. , Brown M. , Hanson I. Parental perceptions of barriers to childhood immunization: results of focus groups conducted in an urban population. Health Education Research, 1997: 12: 355-362.

Rogers A. , Pilgrim D. Rational non-compliance with childhood immunisation: personal accounts of parents and health care professionals. London: Unpublished report for the Health Education Authority, 1993.

Forrest J. Who calls the shots? An analysis of lay beliefs about childhood vaccination. Occasional papers in Sociology and Social Policy No 3. South Bank University, 1994.

Bedford H. , Elliman D. Concerns about immunisation. BMJ, 2000: 320: 240-243.

Peckham C. , Bedford H. , Senturia Y. , Ades A. The Peckham Report. National Immunisation Study: Factors Influencing Immunisation Uptake in Childhood. Action Research for the Crippled Child , 1989.

Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC). Quarterly reports, Immunisation coverage, 1995- 2000.

World Health Organisation. Expanded programme on immunisation uptake. WHO report, March 2000.

Mackenzie I. , Nelder R. , Maconachie M. et al.'My ward is more deprived than yours .' Journal of Public Health Medicine, 1998 : 20(2): 186-190.

10.

Pearson M. , Makowiecka K. , Gregg J. et al. Primary immunisations in Liverpool; is there a gap between consent and completion? Arch Dis Child, 1993: 69: 115-119.

11.

Klein N. , Morgan K. , Wansbrough-Jones M. Parents' beliefs about vaccinations: the continuing propagation of false contraindications . BMJ, 1989: 298: 1687-1689.

12.

Jefferson T. Real or perceived adverse effects of vaccines and the media - a tale of our times. J Epid and Community Health, 2000: 54: 402-403.

13.

Sutton S. , Gill E. Immunisation Uptake: The Role of Parental Attitudes. London : Report to the Health Education Authority, December 1993.

14.

Bennet P. , Smith C. Parents' attitudes towards immunisation in Wales according to socioeconomic groups: a preliminary investigation. Health Education Journal , 1992: 51(3): 127-131.