Sept. 6, 2002 -- Though most parents recognize the
importance of having their children immunized, most are confused and
anxious about the details, according to a new survey. Created by a
collaboration of several nursing associations and supported in part by
GlaxoSmithKline, the survey asked parents about their attitudes,
behaviors, and knowledge of immunizations.
Healthcare professionals are acutely aware that parents
turn to them before going to the Internet, family, and friends to get
reassurance and up-to-date immunization information, says Carolyn
Montoya, MSN, CPNP, immediate past president of ACNP, in a news release.
Immunizations in the U.S. have been proven to be the
most effective tool for protecting children and eradicating some
infectious diseases. But 80% percent of the roughly 1,000 surveyed
parents didn't know how many vaccines their children needed. Currently,
infants receive 20 or more injections in the first two years of life to
protect them from 11 serious diseases including tetanus, whooping cough,
chickenpox, and polio. Combination vaccines are used to protect against
multiple diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella.
"As a nurse, I know how important it is to have children
immunized. It's the only way we can keep serious and sometimes fatal
childhood diseases at bay," says Barbara Blakeney, MS, APRN, BC, ANP.
Most parents are unaware of the number of vaccinations needed for their
children and demographics play an important role in parents' attitudes
and knowledge, says Blakeney. "As nurses, we play a key role in
educating parents about immunizations and provide them with tips to ease
their distress."
Other findings in the survey, conducted during July,
include:
Ninety-eight percent of parents value the role immunization plays
in the health of their children and believe immunizations are
important in preventing disease.
Seventy-seven percent are aware of combination vaccines (one
injection used to protect against two more diseases simultaneously).
Eighty-three percent of parents do not know how many immunizations
a child should receive during the first two years of life.
More than half could not identify vaccine-preventable diseases
such as polio or hepatitis B.
Eighty-four percent of parents said they felt sympathy pain while
watching their children receive the vaccine, and four out of five
parents found it difficult to watch.
One thousand phone interviews were conducted. The survey
has a margin of error of 3.2%.
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.
