[ad_1]
Source: Oxford Media Library / Shutterstock.com
More than 40% of parents surveyed said they were often or sometimes exposed to negative messages about vaccines on social media.
According to a report published by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH), the timing, availability and location of appointments constitute barriers to the adoption of vaccination.
The results make "a strong argument" to have appointments available in the community, as in pharmacies, he said.
The report "Moving the needle: promoting lifelong immunization" was published on January 24, 2019 to provide a "snapshot" of public and professional attitudes towards vaccination. It includes a narrative literature review of relevant articles and three public inquiries: one with 2,000 British adults aged 18 and over; one with 2,622 British parents; and one with 216 health professionals working to deliver vaccination programs in the UK.
The results show that it is "crucial" to improve access to vaccines to address absorption inequalities, particularly those related to ethnicity or socio-economic status.
Although attitudes towards vaccines have been largely positive – especially for parents (91% of whom have acknowledged that vaccines are important for their children's health) – social media has been identified as a source of negative messages and "false information" about vaccinations. More than 40% of parents surveyed said they had often or sometimes been exposed to negative messages about vaccines on social media.
Traditional media, such as television and newspapers, also continue to be influential. Health professionals' responses to the surveys have had an impact on public opinion on vaccines.
A community pharmacist interviewed said that some of the negative press pharmacists learned that influenza vaccination "is not very good this year" has an impact on absorption. The controversy surrounding allegations that the MMR vaccine was linked to autism was an example cited by a number of health professionals.
However, the survey found that public confidence in health professionals remained very high, with doctors 'and nurses' opinions being considered as the most valuable sources of information regarding 94% vaccination and 92% of parents, respectively. Then come scientific experts, then pharmacy teams, friends and family members.
Shirley Cramer, Executive Director of RSPH, said, "Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to protect and improve the health of the population and save millions of lives every year around the world.
"In the UK, we are fortunate to have a fantastic, world-leading vaccination program with excellent coverage. However, we should never be complacent: history has taught us that fear and misinformation about vaccines can cause considerable damage even to the most powerful vaccination programs. "
The RSPH called for a multi-pronged approach to help improve and maintain the adoption of vaccination in the UK, including efforts to protect the public from false news and negative messages on social media and to offer vaccinations in a larger number of places, such as gyms and street pop-ups.
Quote: The pharmaceutical journal, online, online |
DOI: 10.1211 / PJ.2019.2020606041
[ad_2]
Source link
