Mothers are viewed negatively if their child hasn't been vaccinated, no matter the reason. But mothers who outright refuse to vaccinate their children are viewed in a harsher light compared to those who delay vaccines because of safety concerns or who aren't up to date due to time constraints. That's a key finding of a new University of British Columbia study published in Social Science and Medicine that examined attitudes toward children who haven't received all their vaccinations and their parents.
The researchers found that respondents also stigmatized both the parent and their under-vaccinated child, regardless of the reason they weren't up-to-date on vaccinations. These respondents were also more likely to support stricter public policies like banning under-vaccinated children from schools to increase vaccination rates.
Poll Question:
Mothers are viewed negatively if their child hasn’t been vaccinated, no matter the reason. But mothers who outright refuse to vaccinate their children are viewed in a harsher light compared to those who delay vaccines because of safety concerns or who aren’t up to date due to time constraints.
Do you think it’s fair to stigmatize mothers who do not vaccinate their children, no matter the reason?
Yes
513
No
413
Not sure
44
