Parental attitudes towards changing childhood immunisation schedules in Nepal
This seminar will present research findings aiming to understand what drives parents to embrace or reject policy changes that affect the childhood vaccination schedule in Nepal.
What drives parents to embrace or reject policy changes in vaccine timing, dosing, which diseases are covered, or the number of clinic visits? How does interpersonal trust, concerns about side effects, and local context—such as emerging diseases and climate-specific health threats—inform these decisions?
This seminar will present findings aiming to understand the complex and multi-faceted factors shaping parental attitudes towards changing childhood immunisation schedules in Nepal, drawing on a mixed methods approach. This work reveals a nuanced web of motivations, from trust in government and the role of social networks, to vaccine tolerability and concerns about neocolonial practices.
This event presents an opportunity to explore key themes such as child-centered vaccine decision-making, the influence of opinions from family members, and the need for clear, culturally relevant vaccine information. How can we better align immunisation strategies with the local context? How can we create more effective communication that builds trust and addresses parents’ concerns?
By answering these questions, the presenter hopes to inform public policy, improve vaccine messaging, and drive higher vaccine uptake in Nepal.
Speaker
Charlie Firth
Charlie Firth is a DPhil candidate in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford, with a background in global health communication. His research explores perceptions, attitudes, and the acceptability of changes to childhood immunisation schedules through a mixed-methods, multi-country study. While these schedules are traditionally universal public health policies, they increasingly intersect with individualised healthcare decision-making, creating tensions between public health priorities and personal choice.
Alongside his research, Charlie leads Vaccine Knowledge, a globally trusted source of vaccine information with millions of annual page views. His work bridges research, policy, and public understanding, drawing on sociology, global public health, communication studies, and anthropology.
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