To examine the rejection of vaccines over family doctors' communication experiences with parents rejecting vaccines: Qualitative research

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The rejection of vaccines and the hesitation over it gradually rise in Turkey as in the whole world. In this research, the purpose is to examine why vaccines are rejected by some people from the family doctors' perspective and to determine what can be done to preclude the factors causing vaccine rejection. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This research was conducted using the snowball sampling and the criterion sampling methods, with 39 family doctors who have faced families that reject or hesitate to vaccinate their children between 5th October 2019 and 29th December 2019 in Sakarya, Turkey. A survey, which includes six questions for sociodemographic attributes and nine questions about the moments that they have faced with the families rejecting vaccine, was applied to participants. Data was obtained face to face by using a semi-structured interview technique. The results were presented in the form of visuals created with the received information. RESULTS: A total of 39 participants consists of 19 females and 20 males. The average age of the participants is calculated as 41.59±8.56 SD years. It is figured out that participants are serving as a doctor for an average time of 17.00±8.66 SD years, and as a family doctor for an average time of 8.03±2.97 SD years. 89.7% of participants are married, and the rest 10.3% are single. The average number of children of participants who have at least one child is calculated as 1,97±0,82 SD. The participants have generally performed a considerate and calm attitude towards families rejecting vaccines. The participants also mentioned that families worry about, at most, the side effects of the vaccines. Other common reasons for the rejection of the vaccines were that they are generally imported and the belief that vaccines are ineffective or include some materials like pork gelatin. Mostly the effect of social media was mentioned as the reason for the increase of vaccine rejection. At the same time, the attitude of doctors and religious leaders who are against the vaccine was also found to be effective in that manner. Moreover, it was stated that the families who do not reject vaccines but have hesitation over it tend to be convinced, and the most important decisive during their decision change period is the trust between their doctors and them. In order to reduce the rejection of vaccine, topics emphasized were determined as, with the help of government agencies, educating the families and the people leading the society, being in cooperation with them, preparing public spot advertisements, making vaccination compulsory and preparing some appropriate punishments to those who do not vaccinate. Participants advised their colleagues to be patient and calm during the meetings with the families rejecting the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the number of people rejecting vaccines makes pandemics reveal more easily. That is why precluding this increase is very important in terms of the health of society. Minimizing the vaccines' side effects, correcting the common wrong knowledge about vaccines, producing domestic vaccines, using media tools effectively, educating people leading the society, and cooperating with them is required to reduce the increase in the number of people rejecting vaccines. Also, reducing the workload of family doctors and providing the environment for them to focus on the first step of health services can be beneficial. Furthermore, we think the number of qualitative research conducted with parents rejecting vaccines, family doctors, and pediatricians should be increased. KEYWORDS: The rejection of vaccine, the hesitation over the vaccine, the reasons for refusal of vaccines, qualitative research.