UK paediatricians' attitudes towards the chicken pox vaccine: The SPOTTY study.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Elsevier Science Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8406899 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-2518 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0264410X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Vaccine Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier Science
      Original Publication: [Guildford, Surrey, UK] : Butterworths, [c1983-
    • Subject Terms:
      Pediatricians*/psychology ; Chickenpox*/prevention & control ; Chickenpox Vaccine*/administration & dosage ; Chickenpox Vaccine*/immunology ; Attitude of Health Personnel* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*; Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United Kingdom ; Adult ; Vaccination/psychology ; Vaccination/statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged
    • Abstract:
      Objectives: An effective vaccine for chicken pox has been included in immunisation schedules since the 1990s. In the UK the recommendation for routine inclusion came in November 2023; it has not yet been implemented. We explored paediatricians' attitudes towards the vaccine and their personal and professional use; as this has been shown to be an influential factor in parents' vaccine decision making.
      Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey using a structured questionnaire exploring attitudes and knowledge towards the chicken pox vaccine of UK based paediatricians between June and September 2023.
      Results: We received 272 responses, 211 female (78%), 228 based in England (85%) with remainder in Wales (23), Scotland (8) and Northern Ireland (9); 150 (56%) reporting practicing paediatrics <10 years. The majority (n = 207; 78%) agreed that the chicken pox vaccine should be included in the UK routine schedule. Half the cohort, 52% (n = 135), reported having their own children vaccinated against chicken pox, 73% of those with appropriately aged children. Most, 86% (n = 225), recommended the vaccine to family and friends routinely or when asked; however, 42% (n = 108) did not feel able to advise patients' parents due to insufficient information. Of those who do not recommend the vaccine to family and friends, 22 (59%) reported insufficient information to discuss in a professional setting. Of those who did not think it should be included, or were unsure, 38/55 (69%) also felt they had insufficient information to advise parents regarding the vaccine.
      Conclusions: Whilst many paediatricians choose to vaccinate their children and agreed the chicken pox vaccine should be added to the routine schedule, the proportion disagreeing is not insignificant. Targeted education to improve paediatricians' knowledge of the chicken pox vaccine and their confidence discussing it should be implemented prior to the national roll out.
      Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
      (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Chicken pox; Paediatricians; United Kingdom; Vaccination; Varicella zoster
    • Accession Number:
      0 (Chickenpox Vaccine)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240809 Date Completed: 20240902 Latest Revision: 20240902
    • Publication Date:
      20240903
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126199
    • Accession Number:
      39121697