BACKGROUND:
A recent U.S. study documents that most family practitioners and pediatricians have experienced parents refusing immunization for their children. Immunization fears may stem from multiple factors, including the previous experience of parents and their children with vaccine adverse events.

OBJECTIVE:
To determine if parents of children with a previous adverse event (PAE) differ in behaviors and beliefs regarding immunization from parents of children who had not experienced a PAE.

METHOD:
We examined data from households participating in the National Immunization Survey (NIS) during January-December 2001. Using bivariate analysis, we assessed parental demographic characteristics, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and child’s immunization status in parents who recalled a PAE for their child and parents who did not recall a PAE.

RESULT:
Of 2,292 parents of children aged 19-35 months, 39% reported a PAE for their child. Parents with higher education levels were positively associated with recall of PAEs among their children (college graduates 39% vs. < 12 years education 7%; p <0.01). White parents were more likely to report a PAE (45%) than African-American parents (31%) or Hispanic parents (24%; p < 0.01). Missed immunizations were not significantly associated with PAE recall (PAE among children up-to-date with vaccinations = 37% vs. 43% among children missing 2 or more vaccines; p = 0.23); however, PAEs were associated with asking the child’s provider to not give an immunization (8% versus 4%; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:
Race and education were associated with differing rates of PAEs recalled among this population. While parents of children who experienced PAEs more frequently asked their child’s provider to not vaccinate, this did not result in a significantly higher rate of missed immunizations among this population. Thus, patient education or other factors may be influencing such parents to proceed with their child’s immunization.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To identify differences in parental characteristics between parents who recall their child previously experiencing an adverse event and those who do not.