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. 2021 Mar 25;13(3):e14105.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.14105.

Vaccine Hesitancy: Characteristics of the Refusal of Childhood Vaccination in a Peruvian Population

Kocfa Chung-Delgado  1   2 , Javier E Valdivia Venero  2 , Tuong M Vu  1
Affiliations

Vaccine Hesitancy: Characteristics of the Refusal of Childhood Vaccination in a Peruvian Population

Kocfa Chung-Delgado et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Understanding the determinants of vaccine hesitancy is paramount to reinstate confidence in immunizations. The objective of this investigation was to explore the characteristics of the vaccination decision-making process that may result in the refusal of childhood immunization in Peru, during February-June 2020. A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving telephone interviews was executed in Peru. The Parents Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey was used. A demographic analysis was done, followed by an unadjusted exploratory subgroup analysis. Out of 552 subjects, 9.8% were considered vaccine hesitant, 70.3% had purposively delayed vaccination, 88.4% thought fewer vaccines were better and 52.2% were concerned about vaccine safety. The level of hesitancy was inversely proportional to the level of education and the number of children at home. Mothers and subjects aged ≤29 years showed a greater level of vaccine hesitancy. This population displays a vaccine-hesitant conduct. Vaccine safety and the number of vaccines to administer are important determining factors. This behavior could be influenced by variables such as level of education, number of children at home, parental relationship, and age. These results help understand local vaccination behaviors. More studies are encouraged to confirm and validate these findings.

Keywords: immunization; pacv; peru; vaccine; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine refusal.

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Conflict of interest statement

Kocfa Chung-Delgado is an employee at Sanofi Pasteur.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Exploratory Analysis Adjusted by Level of Education
PACV, Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines
Figure 2
Figure 2. Exploratory Analysis Adjusted by Number of Children in the Household
PACV, Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines
Figure 3
Figure 3. Exploratory Analysis Adjusted by Relationship to the Child
PACV, Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines
Figure 4
Figure 4. Exploratory Analysis Adjusted by Age
PACV, Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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