Abstract

Objective: Little is known about the parental perception of usage and delivery of Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), the timing of VIS delivery, parent opportunity to read VISs, and time for discussing content of VISs with providers. Parental reports of dissemination and use of VISs are explored in this study, including parental use, experience, and perceptions. Method: Data for this pilot cross-sectional descriptive study were collected via an online survey. The instrument consisted of 21questions including five demographic questions, 11 questions about VIS distribution, four questions about parental use and understanding of VISs, and one open-ended question about finding information about immunizations (see appendix A). The questionnaire was available in both English and Spanish. Results: Responses from 130 parents in one school district were used for analysis. Most participants (67.7%) reported getting vaccine information from a pediatric healthcare provider. A large majority of participants (71.5%) said VISs were included as part of the vaccination process and that they received a paper copy (64.6%). About a third of participants (37.7%) said they read some or all of the VIS before their child was vaccinated and over half (59.3%) said they read some or all of the VIS after their child was vaccinated. Discussion: While it is promising that many parents reported receiving the federally mandated vaccine information, over a quarter of parents reported they did not receive a VIS. Similar to findings in the literature, a majority of parents read all or part of the VIS after an immunization appointment. Limited time to read and understand the information on the VIS before an immunization was administered may lead to limited parental understanding. Although some parents reported struggling to understand VISs, more than half of the parents in our study said that VISs were helpful and would read another in the future. Nursing Implications: Without appropriate use of VISs and other vaccine education material, providers miss the opportunity to educate parents on the risks and benefits of vaccinating their children. Conclusion: Since their implementation in 1986, there has been little research on VIS use for vaccine education and parental perception. Providers must be aware of literacy levels and vaccine attitudes and create appropriate opportunities for parents to read and learn about vaccines. VISs are a valuable tool to educate patients and parents on the benefits and risks of vaccines. Improvements are needed to improve the clarity of the VIS messaging and dissemination practices.

Degree

College and Department

Nursing; Nursing

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