Evaluation of a Risk Communication on Vaccine-Related Misperceptions. A. Bostrom, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
The National Immunization Program (NIP) at the Centers for Disease Control is one group of many in federal agencies called upon regularly to respond to concerns about vaccine risks. As part of an effort to improve vaccine risk communication, researchers in NIP designed a brochure for physicians to help them address misperceptions about vaccine risks that might be held by parents: 6 Common Misperceptions about Vaccines and How to Address Them. This study evaluates the brochure and investigates the vaccine risk- and risk communication-related experiences of pediatricians and family physicians. Questionnaires were sent to a national, random sample of 1500 pediatricians and family physicians drawn from the rosters of the American Medical Association. Each participant also received either the 6 Common Misperceptions brochure or the Polio Vaccine Information Statement. In general, the communications were highly rated, though most respondents requested more risk comparisons and analogies. The paper describes the communication behaviors, perceptions of the prevalence and nature of concerns about vaccine risks among parents, reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, and vaccine risk-related beliefs of pediatricians and family physicians in the context of childhood immunizations. The effects of the two communications on these are generally small, though they appear to have influenced self-reports of some behaviors.
Support from the CDC is gratefully acknowledged. The author bears sole responsibility for any errors.
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