Evaluation of factors affecting families' decisions to refuse childhood vaccines: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Vaccine refusal is increasing in Turkey and worldwide. The aim of our study is to reveal the reasons for vaccine refusal by interviewing families who refuse vaccines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted using a qualitative method and is descriptive in nature. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form that included eight questions questioning socio-demographic characteristics and five open-ended questions aiming to deeply examine the thoughts of families refusing vaccination. The opinions obtained through the in-depth interview technique were grouped into themes and categories. RESULTS: A total of 20 parents participated in the study, 16 female (80%) and 4 male (20%). The mean age of the participants was 32.55 ± 4.34 Standard Deviation (SD) years. The data obtained in our study were collected under the themes of "vaccine safety and content concerns", "information sources and perceptions", "individual and family decision mechanisms" and "social factors and social perceptions". CONCLUSION: Determining the reasons for vaccine refusal is of great importance in reducing the number of vaccine refusals. Families should be informed by health authorities about the side effects of vaccines, and proven information should be shared on social media applications. We also believe that finding local vaccines whose content is explained to families in an understandable way can be an important factor in reducing the number of vaccine refusals.