Exploring the Impact of the U.S. Measles Outbreak on Parental Awareness and Support for Vaccination

Cacciatore, M. A., Nowak, G., & Evans, N. (Forthcoming). Exploring the impact of the US measles outbreak on parental awareness and support for vaccinations. Health Affairs.

Abstract: Despite consensus among health officials that childhood immunizations are a safe and effective means of protecting people from disease, there remains parent vaccine hesitancy. This hesitancy has been linked to lack of confidence in recommendedvaccinations as well as vaccine delay and refusal. Using a pair of national surveys of parents of children 5 years old and younger, collected immediately prior to and in the weeks following the 2014-15 U.S. measles outbreak, this study examined the visibility of this vaccine preventable disease outbreak among parents and whether awareness of the outbreak impacted their childhood vaccination-related beliefs, confidence, and intentions. The study found that while most parents were aware of the outbreak, many were not, and that level of familiarity mattered, particularly on confidence measures and support for mandates. Increases in vaccine-related concerns were found as well indicating disease outbreaks foster not just awareness, but a range of parent responses.