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Research Paper | Medicine | Saudi Arabia | Volume 12 Issue 10, October 2023

Awareness of Childhood Immunization among Well Baby Clinic Attendees in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Latifah Ahmed Albash | Hajar Shaher Almubaireek | Aminah Rahil Almatrafi | Mohammed Abdulrahaman Aljamaan | Faiy Fahad Almulhim

Abstract: Essential childhood immunization plays an important role in preventive medicine, as they can help people live healthier lives and reduce medical costs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccinations have prevented more than 21 million hospitalizations and 730,000 deaths in children over the last 20 years. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of parental awareness regarding childhood immunization, measure the prevalence of children who had received all essential vaccinations, and determine the factors related to immunization delays and hesitancy. Participants were 387 parents who attended a well-baby clinic at King Abdul-Aziz Hospital with their children for essential vaccinations between August and October 2020.Overall,88.6%of the participants? children received essential vaccines regularly before the age of one(61.2%). Reasons for low compliance included the child being healthy (45.2%) and vaccines being ?unimportant? (25.6%). Parents with bachelor?s degrees or higher had significantly better knowledge of immunization than others, while mothers with bachelor?s degrees or higher showed significantly better attitude scores. Although parents? perceived attitudes toward childhood immunization were adequate, their knowledge requires improvement. Parents with higher education levels demonstrated better knowledge of and attitudes toward childhood immunization.

Keywords: Childhood immunization, parents, awareness, well-baby clinic

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 10, October 2023,

Pages: 299 - 305