Objective: During the second half of the 1990s and the first years of the 2000s a declining coverage for MMR vaccination in two-year-olds was observed in Sweden. The aim was to assess reasons for postponement or non-vaccination.
Design: A telephone survey using a structured questionnaire on parents' attitudes regarding their choice to postpone or abstain from vaccinating their child.
Setting: The County of Ostergötland in Sweden.
Subjects: A total of 203 parents of children who had no registered date for MMR vaccination at a Child Health Centre.
Main outcome measures: Parental reasons for non-vaccination.
Results: In all, 26 of the 203 children had received MMR vaccination but this had not been registered. Of those not vaccinated, 40% of the parents had decided to abstain and 60% to postpone vaccination. Fear of side effects was the most common reason for non-vaccination in both groups. The main source of information was the media followed by the Child Health Centre. Parents with a single child more often postponed vaccination and those who abstained were more likely to have had a discussion with a doctor or nurse about MMR vaccine.
Conclusion: Postponers and abstainers may have different reasons for their decision. The role of well-trained healthcare staff in giving advice and an opportunity to discuss MMR vaccination with concerned parents is very important.