{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T13:55:55Z","timestamp":1788875755311,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]],"date-time":"2024-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724716800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Immunisation is one of public health\u2019s greatest success stories, yet, annually, 20 million children miss out entirely or partially on routine immunisation. National immunisation estimates have the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lagging behind with 4% of children under the age of 1 not having received any vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy is considered one of the biggest barriers to vaccination. This study aims to evaluate the UAE\u2019s parents\u2019 vaccination attitudes and practices as well as estimate vaccine hesitancy\u2019s prevalence and determinants.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This cross-sectional, descriptive study collected data from parents across the UAE during the months of March and April 2024. The 60-item questionnaire included the Parental Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccines scale (PACV), the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, and the Digital Vaccine Literacy (DVL) scale. Univariate, bivariate (chi-squared test), and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were conducted.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A total of 550 responses were retained. 84.55% of participants were female (n = 465\/550), half were middle-aged (31\u201345 years old), and 21.09% (n = 116\/550) were healthcare workers. 94.36% (n = 519\/550) had their child\/children receive all mandated vaccines. Only 39.82% (n = 219\/550) found their level of knowledge about childhood vaccinations to be good\/excellent. 70.11% (n = 386\/550) of participants had high digital vaccine literacy. More than 95% had positive attitudes towards measles, meningitis, and pertussis vaccines. 14.00% (n = 77\/550) were identified as vaccine-hesitant according to the PACV. Overall, using general practitioner\/ paediatrician as a knowledge source, digital vaccine literacy, perceived children\u2019s vaccine knowledge, and nationality were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy status.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Vaccine hesitancy exists and is prevalent in the UAE; however, the majority of participants reported high trust in vaccines, the local healthcare systems and physicians. Vaccine hesitancy can be tackled but will require tailored solutions and proactive healthcare workers.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0307020","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]],"date-time":"2024-08-27T18:28:30Z","timestamp":1724783310000},"page":"e0307020","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Vaccine practices, literacy, and hesitancy among parents in the United Arab Emirates"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8754-9172","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Hiba Jawdat","family":"Barqawi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8536-6495","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kamel A.","family":"Samara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samah Mohamed","family":"Kannas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Habbal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nada A.","family":"AlSarraf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad A.","family":"Dreezi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5972-0681","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Eman","family":"Abu-Gharbieh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0307020.ref001","first-page":"3163","volume":"16","author":"AR Alsuwaidi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among Arab parents: a cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref002","author":"WH Organization","year":"2023","journal-title":"Immunization coverage fact sheet"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref003","first-page":"163","volume":"69","author":"A Lafnitzegger","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vaccine Hesitancy in Pediatrics"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref004","first-page":"e17187","volume":"23","author":"V 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Garett","year":"2021","journal-title":"Online misinformation and vaccine hesitancy"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref010","volume-title":"Immunization Agenda 2030: A Global Strategy to Leave No One Behind","author":"WH Organization","year":"2021"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref011","first-page":"89","volume":"71","author":"J Ryan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Interventions for vaccine hesitancy"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref012","first-page":"1348","article-title":"Vaccine Knowledge, Awareness and Hesitancy: A Cross Sectional Survey among Parents Residing at Sandakan District","volume":"9","author":"JYH Voo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sabah"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref013","first-page":"516","article-title":"Factors Affecting Vaccine Attitudes Influenced by the COVID-19 Pandemi","volume":"11","author":"JD Altman","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref014","first-page":"269","article-title":"Understanding Low Vaccine Uptake in the Context of Public Health in High-Income 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hesitancy: The development of a survey tool"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref019","first-page":"402","volume":"29","author":"A Algabbani","year":"2023","journal-title":"Vaccine hesitancy in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref020","first-page":"e41721","article-title":"Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Vaccination Among Parents in Jeddah City","volume":"15","author":"AA Alghamdi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Saudi Arabia"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref021","first-page":"663","volume":"11","author":"MA Almaazmi","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Usage and Trustworthiness of Various Health Information Sources in the United Arab Emirates: An Online National Cross-Sectional Survey"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref022","first-page":"2651","volume":"11","author":"KA Samara","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hepatitis A virus knowledge and immunization attitudes and practices in the United Arab Emirates community"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref023","first-page":"58","volume":"387","author":"HJ Larson","year":"2022","journal-title":"The Vaccine-Hesitant Moment"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref024","article-title":"Systematic scoping review on social media monitoring methods and interventions relating to vaccine hesitancy.","author":"Control EC for DP and","year":"2020","journal-title":"Stockholm"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref025","first-page":"e39220","volume":"24","author":"I Montagni","year":"2022","journal-title":"Measuring Digital Vaccine Literacy: Development and Psychometric Assessment of the Digital Vaccine Literacy Scale"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref026","first-page":"642","article-title":"Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccines: Protective Shields or Threatening Risks?","volume":"11","author":"P Boragno","year":"2023","journal-title":"A Descriptive Exploratory Study among the Italian Population"},{"key":"pone.0307020.ref027","first-page":"1595","volume":"10","author":"RF Nuwarda","year":"2022","journal-title":"ccine Hesitancy: Contemporary Issues and Historical Background"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0307020","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]],"date-time":"2024-08-27T18:28:30Z","timestamp":1724783310000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0307020"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Omar Enzo","family":"Santangelo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]]},"references-count":27,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0307020","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]]}}}