In severe and deadly instances of hand–foot–mouth disease (HFMD), enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the main pathogen. Three inactivated EV71 vaccines have been licenced in China since 2015. The EV71 vaccine immunisation coverage has been quite poor, particularly in rural regions. A cross-sectional study of parents of children aged 6–60 months was undertaken in three rural counties in northern Jiangsu Province. This study utilised a pretested validated questionnaire to measure respondents’ knowledge, awareness, and attitude about HFMD and EV71 vaccinations, and we performed univariate and multivariate binary logistic analyses to investigate possible characteristics related with EV71 vaccination uptake.

87.8 percent of the 1,112 parents who took part in the study said they would vaccinate their children with EV71 vaccinations. Parents above the age of 40 were less likely to vaccinate their children. Parents who resided in Ganyu or Xinyi county, had a university or higher degree, were well-versed about EV71 vaccinations, recognised their children’s illness vulnerability, and were concerned about the severity of HFMD were more likely to vaccinate their children. The readiness to vaccinate was impacted by parental age, geography, education level, understanding of EV71 vaccinations, susceptibility concerns, and the severity of HFMD.

Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2020.1737465

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