Too many shots? Parent, nurse, and physician attitudes toward multiple simultaneous childhood vaccinations.
OBJECTIVE
To learn about parent, nurse, and family physician attitudes toward multiple simultaneous childhood vaccinations.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Thirty-two family practice clinics in Minnesota.


METHODS
Forty-six volunteer Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Research Network members, 42 of their nurses, and 342 parents of their patients aged less than 6 years who have had at least one injection.


METHODS
Number of injections believed to be too many for a child to receive simultaneously and comfort level associated with children's receiving three simultaneous injectable vaccinations.


RESULTS
Most parents, nurses, and physicians (71%, 76%, and 59%, respectively) think that three injections are too many for a child to receive at one visit. Similar percentages of parents, nurses, and physicians are uncomfortable with a child's receiving three injections at one visit. Sixty-seven percent of the physicians who do not offer universal newborn hepatitis B vaccinations cite the number of required simultaneous injections as a factor in that decision. Only 15% of physicians order all three recommended injections for most of their 15-month-old patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Most parents, nurses, and physicians are uncomfortable with three simultaneous injections for children. This discomfort may be a significant barrier to the adoption of the new immunization recommendations. The development of effective combination vaccines should be a research priority.
Madlon-Kay
D J
DJ
Department of Family and Community Medicine, St Paul, Minn-Ramsey Medical Center.
Harper
P G
PG
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007267:Injections / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D010290:Parents; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*