Hesitancy toward Childhood Vaccinations: Preliminary Results from an Albanian Nursing Staff’s Investigation

Table 1

Nurses’ beliefs and confidence toward vaccination.

Questionnaire statements	Completely disagree		Partially disagree		Unsure		Partially agree		Completely agree
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Vaccines weaken or overload the immune system^	43	71.7	3	5.0	3	5.0	6	10.0	5	8.3
It is better for children to develop natural immunity by getting sick rather than to get a vaccine°	40	64.5	7	11.3	5	8.1	10	16.1	0	0.0
Healthy children do not need to be vaccinated	58	90.6	2	3.1	1	1.6	3	4.8	0	0
Conditions such as autism and multiple sclerosis may be caused by vaccines	49	77.8	3	4.8	10	15.9	1	1.6	0	0.00
Allergies are on the rise because of vaccinations	51	79.7	2	3.1	9	14.1	0	0	2	3.1
I am afraid that one of my patients may develop a severe adverse reaction following vaccination	13	20.6	10	15.9	15	23.8	19	30.2	6	9.5
Children receive too many vaccines	49	76.6	6	9.4	4	6.2	2	3.1	3	4.7
Vaccine policy is influenced by the financial profits of pharmaceutical companies°	33	53.2	10	16.1	11	17.7	6	9.8	2	3.2
Childhood vaccines are given too early	39	61.9	7	11.1	5	7.9	3	4.9	9	14.3
The frequency of adverse reactions to vaccines is underestimated^	38	63.3	6	10.0	12	20.0	3	5.0	1	1.7
Vaccination is cost-effective°	17	27.4	8	12.9	11	17.7	9	14.6	17	27.4
Vaccine information provided by health authorities and scientific societies is reliable	2	3.1	6	9.4	8	12.5	11	17.2	37	57.8
Vaccines are among the safest and most tested medicinal products	1	1.6	5	7.9	9	14.3	11	17.5	37	58.7
The second dose of MMR is useful	1	1.6	1	1.6	9	14.1	9	14.1	44	68.6
When children get vaccinated, the whole community benefits	2	3.1	2	3.1	6	9.4	6	9.4	48	75.0

°2 not responder, ^4 not responder, and 1 not responder.