What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Thursday, April 24, 1:45–2:05 pm
- Presenter: Savanna Ledford, DrPH, MS, EIS officer assigned to the Arkansas Department of Health
What did we do?
- We describe Vaccines for Children (VFC) program awareness among Arkansas parents, regardless of VFC eligibility, to identify sociodemographic and spatial factors associated with lack of program awareness. We analyzed cross-sectional deidentified retrospective survey data of Arkansas parents who completed the Childhood Vaccination Survey in 2019 (N = 407) or 2022 (N = 399).
What did we find?
- Most parents in 2019 (n = 319; 78%) and 2022 (n =287; 72%) were not aware of the VFC program.
- No evidence was found for variables associated with lack of VFC program awareness for 2019.
- The southwest region of Arkansas had a 19% increase in proportion who were not aware of the program and had largest percentage change in crude rate (88%).
- For 2022, female and age among rural respondents were associated with no VFC program awareness.
Why does it matter?
- Most parents were not aware of the VFC program, potentially limiting vaccine uptake in Arkansas.
- Focused communication efforts, especially among females or those in the southwestern region, are needed to increase VFC program awareness.
- Improving awareness of the VFC program in these communities may increase advocacy for the VFC program.
**This presentation has updated data that will be shared at the EIS Conference.
Abstract Category: Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Vaccines