Too many shots? Parent, nurse, and physician attitudes toward multiple simultaneous childhood vaccinations.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7921297&dopt=Abstract

 
Arch Fam Med 1994 Jul;3(7):610-3 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Too many shots? Parent, nurse, and physician attitudes toward multiple simultaneous childhood vaccinations.

Madlon-Kay DJ, Harper PG.

Department of Family and Community Medicine, St Paul, Minn-Ramsey Medical Center.

OBJECTIVE: To learn about parent, nurse, and family physician attitudes toward multiple simultaneous childhood vaccinations. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Thirty-two family practice clinics in Minnesota. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six volunteer Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Research Network members, 42 of their nurses, and 342 parents of their patients aged less than 6 years who have had at least one injection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of injections believed to be too many for a child to receive simultaneously and comfort level associated with children's receiving three simultaneous injectable vaccinations. RESULTS: Most parents, nurses, and physicians (71%, 76%, and 59%, respectively) think that three injections are too many for a child to receive at one visit. Similar percentages of parents, nurses, and physicians are uncomfortable with a child's receiving three injections at one visit. Sixty-seven percent of the physicians who do not offer universal newborn hepatitis B vaccinations cite the number of required simultaneous injections as a factor in that decision. Only 15% of physicians order all three recommended injections for most of their 15-month-old patients. CONCLUSIONS: Most parents, nurses, and physicians are uncomfortable with three simultaneous injections for children. This discomfort may be a significant barrier to the adoption of the new immunization recommendations. The development of effective combination vaccines should be a research priority.

PMID: 7921297 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.