Valido, E. M., Laksanawati, I. S., & Utarini, A. (2018). Acceptability of the dengue vaccination among parents in urban poor communities of Quezon City, Philippines before and after vaccine suspension. BMC research notes, 11(1), 1-5.
This study highlights the high rates of dengue fever in the Philippines and affects mostly children in urban areas. In 2016, the Philippines started mass dengue vaccination in three urban areas including Metro Manila. When vaccinations for children are started, most vaccinations are not accompanied by parental consent, especially in Metro Manila. Therefore, this study aims to describe the acceptance of the dengue vaccine before and after the suspension of the vaccine program in the urban poor area.
This study used a semi-structured in-depth interview methodology which was conducted in November 2017 in the urban poor in District 2 of Quezon City, Philippines. In January 2018, a month after the suspension of the dengue vaccine program, 5 forum group discussions (FGD) were held with parents who have vaccinated children.
Thematic analysis showed that acceptance of the dengue vaccine was associated with parental experiences with vaccinations and dengue fever, trust in public health institutions, and communication received by parents.
Triangulation of post-dengue vaccination suspension shows that parents regret the vaccination experience, the level of trust in public institutions decreases, and the communication strategy is considered inadequate. These results lead to low acceptance of post-vaccine suspension vaccines.
This study proposes that the communication strategy of public institutions plays an important role in increasing parental acceptance of the vaccination program.Lack of proper and adequate communication causes low trust in the vaccine program and ultimately leads to poor experience and bad perception of the vaccination program itself. As long as the vaccine controversy exists, the demand for more specific information will increase. The results of this study indicate that the involvement of parents in obtaining information needs to be integrated with a good communication strategy. Local health workers must have the capacity to respond to these needs. Communication strategies should not be limited only to knowledge transfer but rather focus on building trust.