There are indications that the vaccine hesitancy sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic could translate into Barbadian parents opting not to have their children immunised against other diseases in the future.According to the early findings of an ongoing UNICEF study, parents have admitted that their decision on whether to give their children vaccines against Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP), and Polio and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) could be influenced by the concerns surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.This, according to Social and Behavioural Change Specialist at UNICEF Dr Lisa McClean-Trotman and Minister of Health in Antigua and Barbuda Sir Molwyn Joseph, has the potential to roll back gains made in the region regarding those diseases.The concerns were expressed against the background of preliminary findings from an ongoing study on Caribbean people’s perceptions about the vaccination of children, which UNICEF hopes will be completed by the end of August.
