Compliance with immunization programmes

Abstract

An immunization history was obtained from 122 sets of parents whose children attended a hospital casualty department. Actual records of immunization were traced through General Practitioners and/or local councils for 93 of the children; this latter group represents the study sample. Of the 93 children studied, only 15% were found to be adequately immunized including measles immunization. Analysis of the data suggests that parental understanding of the meaning of immunization had little impact on immunization compliance. This might imply that a major health education programme, of a different type to that presently being employed, is needed.