Background: Vaccinophobia is one of the encountered challenges that face the health care systems these days. Many factors are influencing this issue. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of childhood vaccination among families of preschool and primary school children in Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia, and to estimate the prevalence of vaccinophobia and its related causes among this targeted
group.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 2020 to April 2020 in Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia. A convenient way of sampling was adopted. Families with children of preschool and primary school were invited to participate. Data were collected through a structured electronic questionnaire and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Science program (version 25).
Results: A total of 2,235 participants were recruited. Most of the participants got their information regarding vaccination from medical staff (45.8%). They showed knowledge regarding the purpose of vaccines as to prevent infectious diseases (89.6%). The majority of the participants agreed on the importance of childhood immunization (90.8%), while (7.9%) believed that vaccination was more harmful than beneficial. Most participants stated that their children were almost up to date with their vaccinations (82.3%). A significant statistical association was found between better compliance to vaccination schedule and higher participantsÂ’ educational level, higher perceived socioeconomic standard, and living in urban areas.
Conclusions: The vast majority of participants believed in the importance of childhood vaccination and the compliance on its schedule and had good knowledge regarding the purpose of vaccines to prevent infectious diseases.
Key words: Vaccinophobia, parents, knowledge, practice, immunization, vaccine
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