I'm a mother, therefore I question": Parents' legitimation sources of and hesitancy towards early childhood vaccination

Çelik K., TURAN S., ÜNER S.

SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE, vol.282, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 282
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114132
  • Journal Name: SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, PASCAL, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, Gender Studies Database, Geobase, MEDLINE, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Political Science Complete, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Violence & Abuse Abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Keywords: Vaccination hesitancy, Early childhood, New mothering, Trust, IMMUNIZATION, REFUSAL, ATTITUDES, DECISIONS, CHILDREN, IMMUNITY, REASONS
  • TED University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study was conducted with mothers living in Ankara and registered in the year 2019 with the Immunization Services Unit of the Provincial Directorate of Health as cases of vaccine refusal. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews to understand how mothers decide about child vaccination and the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs underlying these decisions. A total of 23 interviews were conducted by two of the authors between March and September 2019. Each of the 23 participants had at least one child aged five years or younger and were living in Ankara. The study shows that mothers with vaccine hesitancy constitute a heterogeneous group whose members have differing levels of hesitation and concern about the vaccination of their children. It is also observed that the most important factor that affects their decisions is related to trust.