D1.271 - Parental Vaccine Hesitancy And Immunization Practices In Children With Food Allergy

To assess vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with food allergy compared with parents of healthy children, and to examine immunization practices in this population.

In this cross‑sectional, age‑ and sex‑matched case–control study conducted between March and October 2025, parents of children aged 0–36 months with food allergies and healthy controls completed a validated Vaccine Hesitancy Scale(VHS) in their native language. Vaccine hesitancy subscales—including perceived benefits and protective value of vaccination, anti-vaccine attitudes, non-vaccination strategies, and legitimization of hesitancy—along with immunization practices were compared between groups.

The study included 250 children with food allergies and 250 healthy controls. Total VHS scores were similar between groups(42.8±15.4 vs 41.5±14.0, p=0.54). However, subscale scores for “strategies for non-vaccination” and “legitimization of vaccine hesitancy” were significantly higher among parents of children with food allergies. The rate of delayed or incomplete vaccination was significantly higher in children with food allergies(25 vs 4, p<0.001), particularly for the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine among children with egg allergies.

Although parents of children with food allergy have similar scores of VHS with controls,  they may be prone to develop vaccine hesitation due to higher scores for “strategies for non-vaccination” and “legitimization of vaccine hesitancy” obtained. Observed delays and incomplete vaccination are primarily due to misconceptions about contraindications rather than to inherent parental hesitancy. Pediatricians should be aware of the risk of vaccine hesitancy in this population and promote vaccination, taking necessary precautions in time to prevent hesitancy and incomplete or delayed vaccination.