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One-fourth of parents, patients deem teen vaccination nonessential
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The belief that vaccinations are primarily important for infants is held by 23% of parents and 23% of teenagers, with less than 50% of male and 65% of female teenagers vaccinated against human papillomavirus, according to a recent survey conducted by Unity Consortium.
“We all have a common goal to keep our teens healthy now and in the future, and with the advances in science, we have a great ability to do that,” Judy Klein, president of Unity Consortium said in a release. “We understand the confusion that can come with something new or how seeing a health care provider when healthy may be a low priority, but ignoring these steps has real consequences.”
To assess the areas for improvement regarding adolescent vaccination, the organization conducted a survey that included 515 parents of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 years in the United States. The survey also included 506 teens aged 13 to 18, 405 physicians who treat teenagers and 105 pharmacists.
The survey results demonstrated that nearly one in four teenagers and one in four parents believe that vaccinations are more important for infants and that 34% of teenagers are unaware of the benefits of adolescent vaccination. Additionally, 41% of parents responded that their children should see the doctor only when ill.
Concerning consultation with doctors, 47% of adolescents dislike speaking with health care providers, although 92% trust their opinion. Approximately six in 10 parents and teens had concerns about the safety of vaccinations, and only 44% of physicians have implemented reminders about missed or upcoming vaccinations.
These results varied by age, with older adolescents showing more initiative in their own health, with many wanting reminders sent for annual checkups and vaccinations. They also tend to spend more time alone with their doctor than younger teenagers, who were less likely to believe that vaccines were for adolescents.
Current CDC recommendations on adolescent vaccination include four vaccines: meningococcal; tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, in addition to a tetanus and diphtheria booster; HPV; and influenza.
“While the vast majority of parents believe that teens want to shoulder more responsibility for their health, only half of doctors agree that teens want to be accountable,” Paul A. Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and advisor to Unity Consortium, said in the release. “This disconnect widens the communications gap. Our goal in sharing these survey results is to encourage health care providers, parents and teens to communicate better about vaccines because it’s not an exaggeration to say that one shot can mean the difference between life and death.” – by Katherine Bortz
Reference: http://www.unity4teenvax.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Survey-Release-7.17-Final.pdf