Title : Vaccine acceptance and health seeking behaviour the way forward

Vaccines are biological agents which provide active acquired immunity against infectious diseases. Agents in vaccines have similar properties with the micro-organism which causes the disease. Benefits of vaccination cannot be over emphasized as it is most cost-effective strategy for optimal survival and wellbeing of children or beneficiaries. The scientific burden of prove for vaccine development happens in 1796 by British Physician in the person of Edward Jenner nearly, over 200 years ago. The ideology of vaccine development started with international exposure of healthy individuals to small-pox “variolation” which connotes that small-pox vaccine is the vaccine developed in 1796.

Aims: To review primary literature with a view to identifying factors which underpin vaccination acceptance and their level of significance.

Method: The methodology details review of primary articles using Boolean Operators strategy for literature search and quality appraisal framework.

Findings: show causal inference of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance based on the type of vaccine and social stigma. Negative association is evident in the uptake HPV vaccine among children as some Parent associate uptake of HPV vaccine with risk of exposing their children to sexual promiscuity p< .000, which results in most parent demonstrated low intention to allow their children receive HPV vaccine p< .001. Similarly, level of education of parent, place of residence, socio economic status of parent as well as place of delivery are significant risk factors as mothers in Urban areas are more likely to have their children vaccinated p<0.05 than those in rural areas. Mothers who deliver in Public Health Facility are more likely to have their children vaccinated p<0.01 than home and private health facility deliveries. Furthermore, socio-economic status of mothers/parent have significant correlation with vaccination uptake p<0.01. Surprisingly, it was seen that as the educational status of male parent increases (tertiary level) the risk vaccine hesitancy increases p=.002.

Conclusion: Vaccination has significant correlation with economic growth and improve health outcome. Demographic characteristics of care givers/parent determine level of acceptance and hesitancy to vaccination.

Keywords: Vaccination, Acceptance, Hesitancy

To be updated shortly..