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Virology Research Journal
Volume 1 Issue 4
Vaccines World 2017
Page 40
November 09-10, 2017 Vienna, Austria
21
st
World Congress and Exhibition on
VACCINES, VACCINATION & IMMUNIZATION
Nature and fear: Two distinct mechanisms
that shape pediatric vaccine-refusal in the US
Adina Robinson, Jori July
and
Gary Freed
University of Michigan, USA
Statement of the Problem
: Low childhood immunization
rates and frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases
threaten the health and well-being of our nation’s children.
While access to affordable vaccination plays a role in the
current immunization state, most data point to parental
vaccine-hesitancy and vaccine refusal. The United State and
other countries have expended significant funding showcasing
vaccine safety and disproving widely publicized links to
health concerns such as autism. Despite these efforts, as many
as 50% of parents consider themselves vaccine-hesitant. The
purpose of this study is to describe parents’ decision-making
process as they choose to reject, delay or defer vaccination
decisions for their children age 6 and under.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation
: In a qualitative
field study, we elicited parents’ vaccine associations as well
as deep-rooted and complex vaccine stories to uncover the
flawed causal knowledge parents possess about the safety and
need of vaccines, their reasoning biases, and main decision-
making paths.
Findings
: All parents were driven in their no-vaccine
decisions by a strong desire to protect their children. However,
two distinct decision-making paths emerged – a visceral fear
mechanism that overrides or influences cognition and places
parents in a state of anxiety and concern; and a rule-based,
“nature knows best” mechanism, which veils parents in an
unfounded optimism and perceived well-being.
Conclusion & Significance
: Parents refusing or delaying
vaccination represent a heterogeneous group, guided by
distinct decision-making paths which instill different affective
states. Effective communication of vaccine safety information
should be affectively customized to the two groups of parents.
adirobin@umflint.eduVirol Res J 2017, 1:4