Parental attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and concerns towards childhood vaccinations in Australia: A national online survey.

Background and objectives Vaccine hesitancy is a public health concern. The objectives of this article were to describe Australian parents' attitudes, behaviours and concerns about vaccination, determine the factors associated with vaccination non-compliance, and provide sources of vaccination information for general practitioners (GPs). Methods We conducted a nationally representative online survey of Australian parents in 2012. We determined associations between demographic and vaccination attitudes and behaviour. Results The 452 respondents were parents of children aged < 18 years. Despite 92% reporting their child as up to date with vaccination, 52% had concerns. Factors associated with noncompliance included ` disagreeing that vaccines are safe' (odds ratio [OR]: 2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-7.76) and ` obtaining information from alternative health practitioners' (OR: 6.54; 95% CI: 1.71-25.00). The vast majority (83%) obtained vaccination information from their GPs. Discuss GPs have pivotal roles in addressing concerns regarding vaccination. Education and communication with parents will improve their knowledge and trust in vaccination, thereby improving vaccination compliance.