Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Assessment of awareness and attitude about the importance of immunization among parents to their children in population of Karachi, Pakistan

7^th Middle East - Global Summit and Expo on Vaccines & Vaccination

September 28-29, 2015 Dubai, UAE

Z Arshma, B H Khan and N Huda

Dow University of Health Science, Pakistan

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Introduction: Childhood immunization is a safe and effective measure against avertable diseases in all over the world including Pakistan that prevents children from many serious, fatal and life threatening infectious diseases. However, Pakistan has some of high rates of deaths among children due to lack of awareness and poor health management mainly improper vaccination. The knowledge and information regarding importance of vaccines among parents plays an important role for the decision to vaccinate children. Therefore parents need to have the correct knowledge about diseases and the vaccines towards the health care for their children. Objective: To evaluate the status of awareness and attitude about importance of immunization in the parents of different status (Upper, middle and lower class) in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: A survey based Cross sectional study were conducted in different town of Karachi. Total 600 parents were included under 40 year of age and parents of the neonate. Questionnaires were filled by the meeting with parents in different areas, parents of school going children from different school in Karachi and the parents visiting hospitals of different status (upper, middle and lower class). Informed consent and assurance with regards to confidentiality were provided. Epi-info and SPSS software were used for data management. Results: Out of 600 questionnaires, 200 questionnaires were filled by the parents in different areas by visiting door to door. 200 questionnaires were filled by parents of school going children and 200 questionnaires were filled by the parents visiting different hospitals. Data was collected from all three class of status. Majority of the high class respondents 95% were aware of child immunization, middle class parents 84% were aware and lower class parents 66% were aware. 81.3% respondents of all three classes were agreed that child immunization is important for the children for their healthy future. 80% of the respondents were in the opinion that childhood immunization is more beneficial than harmful in all three statuses. With exception of question about schedule or correct timing of vaccination 52% half of respondents answered correctly. In general, parents had good knowledge of vaccine immunization with average of 70% responding correctly to question about importance of immunization in children; although lower class need to have more awareness for children immunization. Conclusion: Child vaccination is one of the most effective steps to prevent from the infectious diseases. The importance of correct awareness of the parents to vaccinate their children can give the healthy life and can save them from the infectious and the fatal disease.

Biography :

Email: arshma.zuberi@yahoo.com