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Second dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: questionnaire survey of health professionals

BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7278.82 (Published 13 January 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:82
  1. Marko Petrovic, specialist registrar in public health medicinea (marko.petrovic{at}nwales-ha.wales.nhs.uk),
  2. Richard Roberts, consultant in public health medicinea,
  3. Mary Ramsay, consultant epidemiologistb
  1. a Department of Public Health, North Wales Health Authority, Preswylfa, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1PZ
  2. b Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Colindale, London NW9 5EQ
  1. Correspondence to: M Petrovic

    Abstract

    Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among health professionals regarding the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, particularly the second dose.

    Design: Self administered postal questionnaire survey.

    Setting: North Wales Health Authority, 1998.

    Participants: 148 health visitors, 239 practice nurses, and 206 general practitioners.

    Main outcome measures: Respondents' views on MMR vaccination, including their views on the likelihood of an association with autism and Crohn's disease and on who is the best person to give advice to parents, whether they agree with the policy of a second dose of the vaccine, and how confident they are in explaining the rationale behind the second dose.

    Results: Concerning the second dose of the vaccine, 48% of the professionals (220/460) had reservations and 3% (15) disagreed with the policy of giving it. Over half the professionals nominated health visitors as the best initial source of advice on the second vaccine. 61% of health visitors (86/140), compared with 46% of general practitioners (73/158), reported feeling very confident about explaining the rationale of a two dose schedule to a well informed parent, but only 20% (28/138) would unequivocally recommend the second dose to a wavering parent. 33% of the practice nurses (54/163) stated that the MMR vaccine was very likely or possibly associated with Crohn's disease and 27% (44/164) that it was associated with autism. Nearly a fifth of general practitioners (27/158) reported that they had not read the MMR section in the “green book,” and 29% (44/152) reported that they had not received the Health Education Authority's factsheet on MMR immunisation.

    Conclusions: Knowledge and practice among health professionals regarding the second dose of the MMR vaccine vary widely. Many professionals are not aware of or do not use the good written resources that exist, though local educational initiatives could remedy this.

    Footnotes

    • Funding This study was performed as part of the routine service work of the North Wales Health Authority's department of public health. There was no external funding.

    • Competing interests MR has received reimbursement from the manufacturers of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for attending symposiums.

    • Embedded Image This article is part of the BMJ's randomised controlled trial of open peer review. Documentation relating to the editorial decision making process is available on the BMJ's website

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