Doctors' Attitudes and MMR-Vaccination

Abstract

97 general practices, representing 171 practitioners, were asked about attitudes and certain procedures in relation to vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Answers were correlated with their actual vaccination rate, calculated from the National Health Service Computer System. All practices expressed a positive attitude towards the usefulness of MMR vaccination, but only 56% of the respondents expressed a whole-hearted positive attitude. The average vaccination rate in practices with unreservedly positive attitudes was 85%, compared with 69% in practices with more guarded attitudes. All practices offered MMR-vaccination with the routine health examinations at the age of 15 months, and all except three practices recommended vaccination. The vaccination was usually done by a doctor. Differences in vaccination rates were not associated with the way of presentation of MMR, the profession of the person who carried out the vaccinations, or the average number of years of postgraduate experience of the doctors in a practice. Unreservedly positive attitudes among general practitioners are necessary, if sufficient vaccine coverage is to be achieved.