Pediatric nurses' thoughts on childhood vaccines: A qualitative research example

This research was conducted as a qualitative study to determine the opinions of pediatric nurses regarding childhood vaccinations. The study was conducted with 13 pediatric nurses working in the pediatric wards and pediatric outpatient clinic of Mersin University Hospital between March and April 2025. A Demographic Information Form and a Semi-Structured Interview Form were used to collect data. Interviews were recorded and transcribed afterward. After transcription, the research data was analyzed using the MAXQDA 22 analysis program for coding, theme creation, and analysis of the relationship between codes and sub-codes. Based on the data obtained from the interviews of the nurses included in the study, four themes and 44 codes were obtained: "Vaccine acceptance, vaccine hesitancy, vaccine opposition, and recommendations." The average age of the pediatric nurses interviewed was 34.38 ± 4.46. Based on the findings, pediatric nurses stated that the Ministry of Health vaccines are safe and necessary. Vaccine hesitancy stems from factors such as overseas production, the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, pandemic-related media coverage, cold chain issues, and incorrect application techniques. Anti-vaccination sentiment, on the other hand, is attributed to past negative experiences, mistrust, religious and personal beliefs, concerns about vaccine content, and insufficient scientific data on specific vaccines. In conclusion, nurses generally consider childhood vaccinations safe and necessary, but families may experience hesitancy and opposition due to a lack of information and misconceptions. To reduce anti-vaccination sentiment and address hesitancy among pediatric nurses, it is recommended that all childhood vaccinations be mandatory, health policies be strengthened, information and education campaigns be increased, mobile health services be expanded, and specific vaccines be offered free of charge.