Increasing the population’s commitment to the immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases

Introduction. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 18, 2020 No. 2390-r «On approval of the Strategy for the Development of immunoprophylaxis for the period up to 2035» indicates that vaccination is an important tool in the prevention of infectious diseases and plays a key role in maintaining public health. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines used to immunize the population are guaranteed by state quality control: all drugs are subject to mandatory certification. The effectiveness of vaccines is undeniable, regardless of the medication used, although their nonspecific, positive effect on the human immune system may vary. Maintaining public confidence in immunization and the healthcare system is an essential factor.
The purpose of the study: to study and evaluate the attitude of medical workers and parents of preschool children to vaccination.
Materials and methods. The study of attitudes to vaccination was conducted in 5 medical and 10 preschool educational institutions in Chelyabinsk among 430 doctors and 1,030 parents of preschoolers in 2023–2024 according to two questionnaires developed by the authors. Descriptive statistics methods were used for statistical processing of the data obtained, and the chi-square test method was used to find the confidence level in the proportions of respondents’ responses.
Results. It was revealed that 98% of the surveyed doctors recognize the effectiveness and importance of immunoprophylaxis, 69.8% face refusals from patients to vaccinate. In the group of preschool parents, 72% highly rate the role of vaccination, while 23% of respondents treat it with disdain. Among medical professionals, the absolute majority (100%) trust the WHO recommendations, while 53% of parents consider the opinions of experts and bloggers on the Internet to be a priority. It was noted that 74% of respondents have a positive attitude towards polio vaccination, while 24% of respondents express a negative opinion about coronavirus vaccinations.
Conclusion. Despite the high assessment of the importance of vaccination by the medical community, there remains a significant proportion of skeptical parents. The main barrier is distrust of official sources and the influence of disinformation. A set of preventive measures is proposed for parents of preschoolers to promote vaccination and increase confidence in vaccines.

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