Vaccination practices and preferences among muslim parents of young children : trends and challenges

Vaccination is a preventive measure to protect children from infectious diseases. Although it is good immunization for children, some parents are reluctant about having their children immunized. The study attempts to identify patterns of vaccination practice among parents, preferences and sources of vaccine information. This is a descriptive survey conducted via online platform through a survey link. A sample of 80 parents including both mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of one to 12 years old were recruited via convenient sampling method. The survey link was distributed through email and on social media. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The results indicate that 75% of the parents do vaccinate their children although 59% of the parents have no preference towards vaccines. However, the majority of parents (75%) do not complete the immunization schedule. Their main sources of vaccination are from reading materials and social media. There is a significant association between parents who have preference for vaccination and children who receive vaccination. Identification of parents who have no preference for vaccination is imperative in order to improve vaccination coverage. Healthcare personnel should take action to be the main source of information on vaccinations for parents as messages from other information sources can be misleading.