Knowledge and Attitudes of Parents with Children Aged 0-5 with Respect to Childhood Vaccines

Objective: Vaccines are the most cost-effective public health tools for preventing infectious diseases and disease-related disabilities and deaths. Millions of children are saved every year through vaccination. However, increasing the rate of success through more vaccination is prevented worldwide by increasingly negative attitudes resulting from false information and other various reasons. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitudes of parents with children aged 0-5 with respect to childhood vaccines. Material and Methods: The study was descriptive and cross-sectional. Its population consisted of 220 parents with children aged 0-5, who applied to the Family Health Center in Bursa, a city of Turkiye. The study was conducted between June and August 2021. Results: It was revealed that the parents participating in the study were mostly female and unemployed, and that the parents jointly made the decision to vaccinate their child. Measles vaccine was the one most commonly known, while fever was the most commonly known adverse effect. The participants were most hesitant about the content of the vaccine. They obtained their knowledge of the vaccine mostly from healthcare professionals. While 45.91% of the participants had a positive attitude towards vaccination, 1.36% had a negative attitude. Conclusion: In line with the findings, it was determined that when the knowledge level of the parents increased, their attitudes towards the vaccine also increased in a more positive way.