Parental Attitudes Towards Vaccination in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Comparative Study

TL;DR

Parents of children with IBD often stop vaccinating after diagnosis due to fears and misinformation, highlighting the need for physician-led education.

Contribution

The study reveals that vaccine hesitancy in children with IBD is acquired post-diagnosis, not inherent, and emphasizes the role of physician communication.

Findings

78% of IBD parents refuse further vaccination after diagnosis despite high initial rates (>93%).

Parents misinterpret normal reactions as serious complications and rely on unverified internet sources.

Low adult revaccination rates were observed, with over 30% of parents unvaccinated in adulthood.

Abstract

What are the main findings?
Despite high pre-diagnosis vaccination rates (>93%), 78% of parents refuse further immunization after their child is diagnosed with IBD.Parents frequently misinterpret normal post-vaccination reactions as serious complications and rely on unverified internet sources due to a lack of proactive physician guidance.

Despite high pre-diagnosis vaccination rates (>93%), 78% of parents refuse further immunization after their child is diagnosed with IBD.

Parents frequently misinterpret normal post-vaccination reactions as serious complications and rely on unverified internet sources due to a lack of proactive physician guidance.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Vaccine hesitancy in this population is “acquired” rather than inherent, necessitating early educational intervention by gastroenterologists at the time of diagnosis.Proactive counseling and targeted educational programs are essential to correct safety misconceptions regarding immunosuppression and restore vaccination adherence.

Vaccine hesitancy in this population is “acquired” rather than inherent, necessitating early educational intervention by gastroenterologists at the time of diagnosis.

Proactive counseling and targeted educational programs are essential to correct safety misconceptions regarding immunosuppression and restore vaccination adherence.

Objective: To evaluate parental attitudes towards vaccination in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), assess the level of adherence to immunization schedules, and identify key barriers hindering vaccination. Materials and Methods: A comparative survey was conducted involving 215 respondents, divided into an IBD group (109 parents of children with IBD) and a control group (106 parents of healthy children). The majority of respondents were mothers (96%) with higher education (81% and 79%, respectively) residing in a major metropolitan area. We assessed demographic data, vaccination history of both children and parents, sources of medical information, and reasons for vaccine refusal. Results: Routine vaccination coverage in children under 6 years of age was high and comparable in both groups (>93%). The majority of parents in the IBD group (n = 68; 62%) expressed a positive attitude towards vaccination. However, following the onset of IBD, only 24 (22%) continued vaccination, while 85 (78%) reported a categorical refusal to continue immunization. It was found that parents tend to misinterpret normal post-vaccination reactions as vaccine complications. A significant factor contributing to refusal is the lack of information from attending physicians and reliance on the Internet as a primary information source. Additionally, low rates of adult revaccination were noted, with over 30% of parents in both groups not being vaccinated in adulthood. Conclusions: The low vaccination rate in children with IBD after disease onset is driven not by initial anti-vaccination sentiment, but by acquired fears and a lack of professional communication from primary care providers and specialists. Improving immunization coverage requires the active implementation of educational programs for parents regarding vaccine safety during immunosuppressive therapy, as well as the development of specific guidelines for attending physicians.

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