Unraveling Childhood Vaccination Hesitancy: A Thematic Analysis of the Perceptions of Highly Educated Mothers in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Abstract Background Vaccine hesitancy among parents directly affects the child's vaccination status, since they are the legal decision-makers regarding vaccinating their children. The study aimed to describe the perceptions of Kazakhstani mothers about routine childhood vaccination. Methods The study utilized a descriptive phenomenological study to describe mothers' perceptions of childhood vaccination in Kazakhstan. A purposive sample of 95 participants comprehensively answered the free-text questions in an online self-administered questionnaire from January to February 2023. The analysis of the free-text responses followed a thematic analysis approach. Results The in-depth analysis of the data, 285 initial codes were extracted. The combination of similar meanings and concept codes leads to 19 categories and finally arriving at four significant themes: misconceptions about childhood vaccination, fear of the vaccine's effect on children, distrust of the health care system, and social learning factors. Conclusions The themes related to the perceptions of Kazakh mother mothers about childhood vaccination may lead to behaviors of delaying and refusing some or all childhood vaccines. Therefore, motivational and educational strategies can be used by healthcare providers to instill trust in parents about childhood vaccines and their safety and effectiveness.