Role of healthcare practitioners in rotavirus disease awareness and vaccination – insights from a survey among caregivers

An online survey was designed to assess awareness and understanding of Rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis (RVGE), and knowledge and attitudes towards RV vaccination in Germany, Poland, Turkey, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Survey participants (n = 1500) comprised parents, expectant parents and guardians of children ≤5 years of age who have sole or joint responsibility for health and well-being decisions relating to their child, who were recruited from an online panel and provided their consent for study participation. Participants from most countries had a high level of awareness of RV infections (mean: 82%) and of those aware of RV, a mean of 61% participants were aware that RV was the most common cause of GE, however the majority (mean: 59%) were unaware that nearly every child would be infected with RVGE by the age of 5 years. Healthcare professional (HCP) recommendation was identified as the key driver for participants seeking vaccination (48%–75% of participants stated this reason, with results differing by country) followed by availability of RV vaccine in the national immunization program. Despite a high level of awareness of RVGE among participants, fostering knowledge regarding the difficulty of RVGE prevention, the risk of RV contraction and the associated serious consequences like dehydration is imperative to improve RV vaccination uptake. HCPs, being the primary influence on participants’ decision on vaccination, are best suited to bridge existing knowledge gaps and recommend parents to vaccinate their children against RVGE.