Socio-Cultural Determinants of Parental Refusal for Childhood Vaccination: A Semantic and Latent Thematic Analysis

Incomplete vaccination coverage is hazardous for the upcoming generations of a country. Child immunization against various vaccine-preventable diseases is a focus all over the world. The vaccination schedule information is a vital component of vaccination coverage, and its failure leads to incomplete immunization among newborns. Education, employment, and urban facilities are also essential for the complete immunization of a child. There is a significant difference in vaccination coverage due to all these factors. The main objective of this study was to explore the reasons for incomplete vaccination coverage due to the factors mentioned earlier, like why the information gap is there and what makes uneducated parents vulnerable to incomplete immunization, and why the urban-rural disparity exists regarding complete vaccination coverage in Punjab, Pakistan. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews of the mothers having at least one child from 1-2 years of age to explore factors responsible for incomplete vaccination coverage. Insufficient vaccination coverage was related to perceived adverse effects, cultural settings, information gap, lifestyle, parental employment and occupation, the risk to the immune system, risk perception about the disease, perception of efficacy, and misconception about vaccination. In-depth interviews proved vital for exploring underlying reasons for incomplete vaccination coverage. The current study explicates the profound views of respondents on why they refuse vaccination for their children. There should be a rigorous focus on increasing awareness of vaccination.