Month/Year of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Health

First Advisor

Naomi Schmeck

Abstract

Childhood immunization has led to significant decreases in the burden of infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Despite these contributions, U.S. childhood vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, and updates to the federal immunization schedule have removed recommendations for several childhood vaccinations. Amid such an uncertain public health landscape, understanding how environmental conditions affect childhood immunization behaviors is crucial for ensuring that children receive the vital protections vaccines offer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the barriers and facilitators of childhood immunization observed by Nebraska health care professionals (HCPs). This study utilized an online questionnaire and virtual semi-structured interviews to collect data from HCPs. The most reported facilitators in the questionnaire were positive clinician experiences and immunization tracking and reminder systems. The top barrier was vaccine hesitancy. Similar patterns emerged in the interview responses. These findings provide crucial insights into the existing successes and challenges of childhood immunization, as well as how the perspectives of HCPs can be utilized to develop community-based public health initiatives.

Comments

Reviewed for accessibility and accepted

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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