Some parents may delay or avoid talking about vaccines with their child’s primary care provider

Parents do not always turn to medical professionals for vaccine advice. And a small subset may even be avoiding conversation, a new national poll suggests.

According to the CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Health University, one in seven parents have not discussed vaccines with their child’s regular donor in the past two years.

Also, 80% of parents had discussed vaccines required for school with their child’s provider, while only 80% had discussed flu (68%) and COVID-19 (57%) immunizations. Very few.

Historically, parents have relied on their child’s pediatrician or other primary care provider to guide their child’s health decisions, including vaccine recommendations. ”

Sarah Clark, MPH Mott Poll Co-Director

“We can expect parents to have many questions and concerns about any new vaccine like COVID-19. We expect to rely on primary care providers, and the debate over COVID vaccines may suggest a decline in the role of primary care providers as a source of authoritative information on this topic.”

The nationally representative report is based on responses from 1,483 parents with at least one child aged 6-18.

Immunization is a topic often discussed during a child’s health check-up, says Clark. Parents are often asked about the timing, benefits, risks and side effects of vaccination.

“Different vaccines are recommended for different age groups, and as new vaccines are developed, well visits provide an important opportunity to ask questions about them,” Clark said.

“During the pandemic, we have seen a lot of misinformation and division around vaccines, and disruption of care due to COVID precautions. There is. Without a reliable source of vaccine information and guidance, families may turn to other sources that may not be as accurate.”

Parents who have discussed flu and COVID-19 vaccines with their doctors report positive experiences. A majority of those surveyed said their providers were open to questions and concerns, and more than 70% said they learned information that helped them make decisions.

Those who discussed vaccines with their children’s regular donors were also more likely to have their children vaccinated.

However, a quarter of parents surveyed have had problems getting their children vaccinated in the past two years, such as having to travel elsewhere or having problems scheduling appointments. said.

Clark said some of these challenges may have been caused by pediatricians feeling rushed during examinations and not covering all recommended topics, including vaccines, so limiting in-person visits. It points out that it may be related to pandemic precautions, including.

Providers may also be less likely to discuss vaccines not offered on their site. School vaccines are often in stock and ready to be administered at any time, but flu and his COVID vaccinations are not always available in child health practices.

“This situation confuses the parent-provider debate about these vaccines,” Clark said. “Parents may bring their children and be told they need to go to another location to get their flu or COVID-19 vaccines, which adds extra time and hassle for families.”

One of the most concerning findings is that the subset of parents who opt out of vaccines for their children may be avoiding important health conversations with their health care professionals.

6% of parents say their child has not been vaccinated. 43% of her in this group reported not having discussed vaccines with any health care provider in the past two years.

Another 3% of parents said they delayed or skipped their child’s doctor visits to avoid talking about vaccines. While that number may seem small, “3% is the equivalent of many children across America,” Clark points out.

“Avoiding conversations about vaccines with their child’s health care provider prevents parents from learning and considering new information that could influence their decisions,” Clark said.

“When parents delay or skip visits, they are not prioritizing the child’s well-being,” she added. , parents will not receive information or guidance on how to keep their children healthy and safe.”