Summer 2011 - Vaccines

Vaccine Safety Dominates Office Visit Concerns

Primary care physicians need considerable help winning the vaccine war given the limited amount of time they have to make their case in the exam room, according to the authors of a new study published online April 15 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Fifty-three percent of family practice physicians and pediatricians surveyed in 2009 reported spending 10 to 19 minutes on vaccine discussions when parents harbor “substantial concerns” about adverse effects, and another 8 percent reported conversations of 20 minutes or longer. Eight percent of physicians report vaccination refusals for 10 percent or more of children per month, and 79 percent say it happens at least once a month, mostly due to concerns about long-term complications and autism.

About three-quarters of physicians think parents are acting responsibly when they question whether their child should be vaccinated, and roughly two-thirds do not feel disrespected when parents disregard their recommendations. However, many physicians are taking steps to protect themselves. Forty-four percent always or often require parents to sign a waiver if they decline vaccination, and one in 10 always or often dismisses such families from their practice if they refuse vaccines in the primary series.

BSTQ Staff
BioSupply Trends Quarterly [BSTQ] is the definitive source for industry trends, news and information for the biopharmaceuticals marketplace. With timely and critical information, each themed issue covers topics ranging from product breakthroughs, industry insights and innovations, up-to-the-minute news on the latest clinical trials, accessibility, and service and safety concerns.