Vaccine Evidence Compendium

Hexavalent vaccines

Values and preferences

Perception of the target population on the risk of disease

Perception of the risk of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Hib and poliomyelitis among target populations varies depending on local disease prevalence, cultural beliefs and awareness levels., , , ,

In rural Kaduna State, Nigeria, awareness and knowledge of diphtheria were low despite an ongoing outbreak, although 61.5% of respondents who knew of the disease considered it life-threatening.

In the UK, parents showed limited and sometimes inaccurate understanding of tetanus and diphtheria, including uncertainty about transmission and the continuing need for vaccination.

Among pregnant women in Georgia, 81% perceived pertussis during pregnancy as serious and 92% considered it serious for infants.

For hepatitis B, approximately half of pregnant women in northern and central Uganda perceived their lifetime risk of acquiring the infection as low.

For Hib, a UK qualitative study identified substantial gaps in parents’ understanding of the disease and its severity.

In regions where polio remains endemic, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, the public is often more aware of the disease's dangers due to its ongoing presence. However, challenges like misinformation, cultural resistance, and distrust in vaccination programs can undermine risk perception, even in high-risk areas. Conversely, in polio-free regions, the perceived risk of polio is generally low, as the disease is no longer part of the collective memory. This complacency can lead to gaps in vaccination coverage, as seen in recent outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) in previously polio-free countries such as the United Kingdom and Israel., ,

Sources
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