Mothers’ Opinions on Vaccinations and Penal Responsibility for Vaccination Avoidance in Nine Selected European Countries: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey

AIM: Relations between penal responsibility and vaccination obligation can be essential for raising the vaccination rate. Social media play a vital role in distributing information. The attitude towards vaccination consists of many factors, including the criminal law situation in the field of vaccination in a given country. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of criminal law liability and other social factors such as age and education on mothers’ desire to vaccinate their children. METHODS: Survey target: mothers from nine European countries (Poland, Germany, Slovakia, France, Norway, Serbia, Romania, Greece, Italy). Response count: 2205. Questionnaire content: adjusted to country-specific legal regulations concerning vaccinations - considering whether vaccines are mandatory, recommended, additional, and how to cover costs. The way of dissemination of the questionnaire: general parental groups on Facebook. RESULTS: The respondents: Poles (30%), Italians, Germans, Slovaks, Greeks (10% each), Norwegians, Frenchwomen, Romanians, Serbians (5% each). The average respondent age: highest: Norway (38.14±10.08) and Italy (37.35±8.12), lowest: Slovakia (30.22±6.19). Respondents with higher, secondary, vocational, primary education represent 58%, 27%, 12%, 3%, respectively, of the group. Countries with above 90% rate of answers that they vaccinate their children: Greece, Norway, Slovakia, France. The lowest rate (55%) recorded for Romania. Sixty-seven percent aware of the existence of anti-vaccination movements. High rates were recorded for Norway (88%), Romania (82%), Poland (78%), Serbia (71%), Greece (67%), Germany (66%). The lowest rate for France (31%). Countries without vaccination at all (Germany, Norway, Romania, Greece), the rest of the countries mentioned above – have some mandatory, recommended and additional vaccinations. CONCLUSION: In countries with mandatory vaccinations parents have their children vaccinated less willingly than in countries with voluntary vaccinations. The rising level of education and providing information about complications following infectious diseases appear to increase the vaccination rate.