title: Parental views on childhood vaccination against viral gastroenteritis-a qualitative interview study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastroenteritis (GE) causes significant morbidity, especially in young children. A vaccine against rotavirus, a common cause of viral GE (vGE), was added to the childhood immunization schedule in the UK in July 2013 and further related vaccines are under development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore parents' beliefs about vGE and their attitudes towards vaccinating.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interview study with parents of children who had recently experienced an episode of GE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted over the phone with parents. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using standard thematic approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents varied in their perception of the threat posed by GE, and parents who did not perceive GE as serious were less enthusiastic about vaccines. Other parents were supportive of vaccines in general and considered benefits to their child, their family and the wider community. Many parents said that they lacked knowledge about efficacy and effectiveness of GE vaccines but their underlying belief about the seriousness of illness motivated their attitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acceptability of GE vaccines to parents could be improved by providing more information on both the burden of illness and the impact of rotavirus vaccine in other comparable countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care & Public Health and South East Wales Trials Unit, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK and LuggFV@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fiona V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Lugg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care & Public Health and Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care & Public Health and.
authors.forename: Meirion R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care & Public Health and.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care & Public Health and.
authors.forename: Nick A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*; D014852:Wales
chemical_list: D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines
keywords: Child; gastroenteritis; patient acceptance of health care; primary health care; qualitative research; rotavirus vaccines.