INVESTIGATION OF AWARENESS OF ROTAVIRUS INFECTION AND VACCINATION IN PARENTS OF INFANTS LESS THAN ONE YEAR-A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY FROM TURKEY

Introduction: Rotavirus infection is one of the most common causes of infantile diarrhea, with significance in developing countries where it accounts for 15–30% of the mortality rate. Vaccination is an effective way to prevent disease and mortality. Therefore, parents' knowledge about Rotavirus infection and vaccination is critical in increasing vaccination rates. We aimed to investigate parental awareness about Rotavirus infection and vaccine, evaluate attitudes towards Rotavirus vaccination, and determine factors affecting acceptance and hesitations about immunization. Methods: This survey included 1856 participants: parents who had a child aged under one year of age. A self-explanatory questionnaire consisting of 13 questions was composed to determine parental awareness and behavior regarding Rotavirus infection and the vaccine. Results: More than half (n=541, 58.30%) of the parents knew that diarrhea could be a fatal disease, less than half (n=354, 38.15%) knew that RV could cause diarrhea. The parental knowledge rates about the Rotavirus infection and the vaccine were positively correlated with parents' education level and monthly family income. Less than half (41.59%) of the parents were found to have vaccinated their children for Rotavirus infection. Vaccination rates increased in parallel with the increase in income and education level of parents. The primary reasons for nonvaccination were lack of knowledge (44.83%) and the fear of possible side effects (14.94%). Conclusion: The present survey demonstrates that parents' knowledge of rotavirus vaccination is not adequate, and the rate of rotavirus vaccination is even low. The present study underlines that health providers are critical insufficient society awareness and acceptance of Rotavirus immunization.