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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Motives of Dutch persons aged 50 years and older to accept vaccination: a qualitative study

Authors: Renske Eilers, Paul F. M. Krabbe, Hester E. de Melker

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Elderly in several European countries are currently being vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcal disease, and various reasons have been put forward to expand these programs. To successfully immunize the older adult population, however, it is crucial for the target group to accept such interventions. This study aims to elucidate the motives of Dutch persons aged ≥50 years for accepting vaccination.

Methods

Thirteen focus groups were composed with persons aged 50 years and older. A semi-structured topic list with open-ended questions was used to guide the focus groups. The transcripts were analyzed according the principles of thematic survey. By an inductive process, the main themes and related subthemes were extracted from the responses.

Results

Eight themes were found to play an important role in accepting vaccination: healthy aging; usefulness of vaccination in older age; risk of getting an infectious disease; vaccine characteristics; severity of the disease and its implications; the experiences of previous vaccinations; the influence of healthcare workers and other people; and the need for information.

Conclusions

This qualitative study reveals that acceptance of vaccination is not based on a single argument. The most important one appears to be the risk of getting an infectious disease. In that light, vaccination campaigns may emphasize the susceptibility of older adults. It is also advisable to consider the usefulness of vaccination in older age as an overall argument. A tailored approach to offering vaccination may be considered. Further research would be needed to determine the relative importance of the factors identified in this study.
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Metadata
Title
Motives of Dutch persons aged 50 years and older to accept vaccination: a qualitative study
Authors
Renske Eilers
Paul F. M. Krabbe
Hester E. de Melker
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1825-z

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