The acceptability of child combination vaccination including DTP, HepB, Hib and polio vaccination varies globally, influenced by factors such as cultural beliefs, misinformation, relationships between parents and healthcare professionals, and perceived disease risk.
In South Africa and Timor-Leste, general acceptance of immunization was observed, but with limited disease-specific knowledge. DTP vaccine acceptance was high among parents in France (85%) and India (98%).
Pertussis vaccine acceptance in countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Australia, West Germany and Russia has been influenced by adverse events and to lesser extent the low effectiveness of selected wP vaccines.
In polio endemic regions, vaccine resistance has been linked to misconceptions about vaccine safety and cultural opposition, despite awareness of the disease's severity. Conversely, in polio-free countries, vaccine acceptability is generally high, though complacency has led to gaps in coverage, as evidenced by recent vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) outbreaks in the United Kingdom and Israel. Addressing these challenges, global initiatives led by WHO, UNICEF, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have prioritized public education and community engagement to sustain vaccination acceptance and achieve eradication goals. Go to footnote 1, Go to footnote 2, Go to footnote 3, Go to footnote 4, Go to footnote 5
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Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) (no date). Polio Today: Endemic Countries. Available at: https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/polio-endemic-countries/ (accessed 30 June 2025).
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Global Polio Eradication Initiative (no date). Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus count [website]. Geneva: Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Available at: https://polioeradication.org/circulating-vaccine-derived-poliovirus-count/ (accessed 24 June 2025).
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Bakhache, P., Yewale, V., Parikh, R., Clancey, G., Spickernell, G., Berlaimont, V. & Turriani, E. (2022). Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination: understanding the perspectives and expectations of parents and healthcare professionals in France and India. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 18(1), 1961468. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.1961468.
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Klein, N. P. (2014). Licensed pertussis vaccines in the United States: History and current state. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 10(9), 2684–2690. https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.29576.
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Al Bashar, L., Dube, E., Kandasamy, T., Zaini, N., Abdul Rahman, H., et al. (2023) ‘Parents’ and healthcare professionals’ perception toward the introduction of a new fully liquid hexavalent vaccine in the Malaysian national immunization program: a cross-sectional study instrument development and its application’, Frontiers in Immunology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1052450.
