Many parents refuse vaccinations

Many parents are against vaccinations against their children

20/05/2011

Parents in Germany are often extremely critical of vaccinations. According to a recent study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), 35 percent of parents have already rejected vaccinations for their children.

While the state health authorities and the Robert Koch Institute are currently again calling for an improvement in vaccination rates due to the spread of measles viruses in the unprotected population, the critical attitude of many parents has remained unchanged to this day. On the contrary, they feel rather insecure by the ongoing vaccination calls and their rejection grows. Above all, the threatening side effects and dubious benefits are cited by the critical parents as reasons for their negative attitude.

Uncertain possible side effects of vaccinations
The investigation by the Federal Center for Health Education has shown that around one third of the 3,000 parents surveyed with children under the age of 13 have already refused vaccinations for the adolescents, although there are generally no significant reservations about the vaccinations. As a major reason for their rejection, the parents called fear of possible side effects. Because even if the side effects of the usual vaccinations are relatively rare, they can bring serious health problems in individual cases. A risk that the vaccine-critical parents do not seem to want to go. In addition, the extensive call for swine influenza vaccination in 2009 sparked further uncertainty, as adults also suffered from some side effects from the vaccine used.

Confidence of the population in the health authorities is decreasing
Public confidence in health institutions such as the RKI Standing Vaccine Commission or the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which is responsible for approving vaccines, was clearly shaken by the apparently hasty 2009 call for a swine flu vaccine. For example, 20 percent of parents in the BZgA study believe vaccination not only has positive effects, but may also cause allergies. Nearly six percent of respondents fear permanent damage to their child. About 30 percent of parents, on the other hand, are willing to take any recommended child vaccinations.

Parents criticize the lack of vaccine benefits
Part of the criticism of the vaccinations is also based on the lack of evidence of the actual benefits. Because objective, comparative studies between vaccinated and unvaccinated children are still in short supply. In the context of approval studies, only the antibodies produced which are directed against a specific pathogen are evaluated. A comparison between vaccinated and unprotected persons to verify the effectiveness does not take place, criticize the vaccine opponents. According to the BZgA, the negative attitude of the parents towards vaccinations results in inadequate vaccination against measles, whooping cough and hepatitis B. Where, in particular, the neglect of measles vaccinations according to the BZgA has caused a worrying revival of the measles in Germany. (Fp)

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