Abstract:
This report explores potential reasons behind high childhood immunization exemption rates for non-medical reasons in Lane County, Oregon. Methods of analysis include Qualtrics software tracking for survey data, comparisons with results from similar surveys taken in Ashland and Lane County, and thematic analyses of focus group sessions and clinician interviews. Results show that parents who exempt, or consider exempting, do so for a wide variety of reasons, and the majority chooses on a vaccine-by-vaccine basis. A clinician who develops trusting relationships with parents best assuages their concerns. The quality of information exchanged during conversations with clinicians significantly impacts how much parents trust clinicians with immunization-related decisions.
However, this analysis drew from a small sample of clinicians and parents, and does not necessarily reflect the breadth of views of Lane County vaccine hesitant parents. Recommendations for Lane County Public Health include providing resources to clinicians about improving relationships with patients, actively supplying the public with information about vaccines and their ingredients, and exploring vaccine-related legislation that relies less on coercion.
