Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39137199›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK parents' attitudes towards routine childhood vaccines: A mixed-methods study.

Helen Skirrow, Celine Lewis, Habiba Haque, Lena Choundary-Salter, Kim Foley, Elizabeth Whittaker, Ceire Costelloe, Helen Bedford, Sonia Saxena

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Tetanus: recognition and management.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Decline in UK childhood vaccine uptake.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Helen SkirrowSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-4383-0616
Celine LewisPopulation, Policy and Practice, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Habiba HaqueThe Mosaic Community Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Lena Choundary-SalterThe Mosaic Community Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Kim FoleySchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3664-8100
Elizabeth WhittakerSection of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Ceire CostelloeSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Helen BedfordPopulation, Policy and Practice, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Sonia SaxenaSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3787-2083

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 vaccines were key to controlling the pandemic and vaccination has been discussed extensively by the media and the public since 2020. We aimed to explore parents' attitudes towards routine childhood vaccination since COVID-19 and how the pandemic impacted their experiences of getting their child vaccinated.

methodsWe used a mixed-methods approach-involving a questionnaire survey followed by focus groups. We partnered with The Mosaic Community Trust, an ethnic minority women's group based in a deprived area of North-West London, United Kingdom (UK) with historically low childhood vaccine uptake. Descriptive findings from the questionnaires were reported and chi-square analyses performed to examine differences by ethnicity. Thematic analysis of the free-text questionnaire responses and focus groups was undertaken, guided by the COM-B model of Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation.

resultsBetween Jun-Oct 2022, 518 parents completed the questionnaire (25% from ethnic minorities). Between March-May 2023 we held four focus groups with 22 parents (45% from ethnic minorities). Most parents (>90%) thought routine childhood vaccines for children were important. Over a third (38%) of all parents reported having more questions about childhood vaccines since COVID-19, though among parents belonging to an ethnicity group other than white, 59% said they had more questions compared to those of any white ethnicity group (30%, (p = <0.0001)). Difficulties accessing vaccine appointments were commoner reasons for children's vaccinations being delayed than parents increased concerns about vaccines. Since COVID-19 some parents felt vaccinations were even more important, and a very small minority felt the pandemic had made them mistrust vaccinations.

conclusionFollowing COVID-19, we found parents remain confident in childhood vaccines. However, some parents, particularly from ethnic minority groups may have more questions about childhood vaccines than pre-pandemic. Post COVID-19, to address declining vaccine uptake, parents need easy access to healthcare professionals to answer questions about childhood vaccinations.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesFocus GroupsParentsVaccinationAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesCOVID-19 Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID39137199
PMCPMC11321586

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.