A qualitative assessment of factors influencing acceptance of a new rotavirus vaccine among health care providers and consumers.
BACKGROUND
In 2006, a new rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq) was licensed in the US and recommended for routine immunization of all US infants. Because a previously licensed vaccine (Rotashield) was withdrawn from the US for safety concerns, identifying barriers to uptake of RotaTeq will help develop strategies to broaden vaccine coverage.


METHODS
We explored beliefs and attitudes of parents (n = 57) and providers (n = 10) towards rotavirus disease and vaccines through a qualitative assessment using focus groups and in-depth interviews.


RESULTS
All physicians were familiar with safety concerns about rotavirus vaccines, but felt reassured by RotaTeq's safety profile. When asked about likelihood of using RotaTeq on a scale of one to seven (1 = "absolutely not;" 7 = "absolutely yes") the mean score was 5 (range = 3-6). Physicians expressed a high likelihood of adopting RotaTeq, particularly if recommended by their professional organizations and expressed specific interest in post-marketing safety data. Similarly, consumers found the RotaTeq safety profile to be favorable and would rely on their physician's recommendation for vaccination. However, when asked to rank likelihood of having their child vaccinated against rotavirus (1 = "definitely not get;" 7 = "definitely get"), 29% ranked 1 or 2, 36% 3 or 4, and 35% 5 to 7.


CONCLUSIONS
Our qualitative assessment provides complementary data to recent quantitative surveys and suggests that physicians and parents are likely to adopt the newly licensed rotavirus vaccine. Increasing parental awareness of the rotavirus disease burden and providing physicians with timely post-marketing surveillance data will be integral to a successful vaccination program.
Patel
Manish M
MM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Viral Diseases, Epidemiology Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. mpatel@cdc.gov
Janssen
Alan P
AP
Tardif
Richard R
RR
Herring
Mark
M
Parashar
Umesh D
UD
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010372:Pediatrics; D036301:Qualitative Research; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D012449:Safety; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated
C492535:RotaTeq; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated