The Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine: a pre-launch qualitative study of parental perceptions

HAEMOPHILUS influenzae type b (Hib) is the com monest cause of bacterial meningitis in young chil dren. In October 1992 a vaccine was launched to offer protection against the disease. Prior to the launch, the Health Education Authority commissioned re search to explore potential responses to the new vac cine and to inform the development of a public education campaign. This paper outlines results on qualitative research conducted among parents in November 1991, to gain insight into how the vaccine might be promoted. The research indicated that the fact of there being different types of meningitis was either already understood, or was easily compre hended. However, it emerged that there was a dan ger the vaccine would be dismissed as unimportant if the type of meningitis in question was not shown to be one of the most common and most serious. The study also indicated that the key to any public edu cation campaign would be the issues associated with the risk of not immunising and of vaccine safety. For this reason, a separate campaign was suggested for the new vaccine, as opposed to a low profile intro duction through a revised schedule.