Understanding the Information Behaviour of Parents Refusing Vaccination for Their Children: the Recent Measles Outbreak in Romania

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to underline the importance of research methods such as discourse analysis in the study of the health information behaviour, in connection to the recent measles outbreak in Romania. A qualitative approach combining narrative and autoethnography was used to analyse situations of vaccination refusal for children in Romania, as reported by the Romanian information channels, the working hypothesis being that the information behaviour of individuals is influenced by a subjective bias of an intricate cluster of beliefs, political orientation, and immediate social environment. The analysis revealed an opposition to vaccination of a proportion of the Romanian population difficult to quantify, but strong enough to influence and to interfere with good healthcare practices. Proactive strategies should be carried out by Romanian authorities to promote to the population the importance and the safety of vaccination, along with pushing information campaigns in media and taking action to combat myths and false information. These efforts should also reach marginalised or disadvantaged groups of population. This study can help public health authorities and practitioners better understand the health information behaviour of the population and the profiles of those influenced by anti-vaccinationists and it would help identify and analyse the factors influencing population refusal of vaccination.