Vaccinations as a problem of medicalization
Vaccinations as a problem of medicalization

Vaccinations as a problem of medicalization

Summary/Abstract: Background: The process of medicalization as a form of biopower is present in many aspects of human life, including vaccination. Aim of the study: The study aims to determine social attitudes towards medicalization in the context of vaccination, and to assess the relationship between children’s vaccinations and the knowledge and education of their parents. Material and methods: This survey-based study involved 180 subjects – 141 women and 39 men. The median of age was 28 years. 32.2% of the participants (58) had a medical education and 67.8% (122) non-medical education. 52.78% of people included in the study (95) had at least one child and 47.22% (85) were childless. The study was conducted using the authors’ questionnaire fallowed by the test of knowledge. Results: Respondents with a high level of knowledge are afraid of vaccination policy and believe that the fact that the state decides on these issues is a violation of human rights. The majority of them do not vaccinate their children. People with medical education vaccinate their children more often than those with non-medical education. Conclusions: In the context of vaccination, it is clear that the level of the knowledge and the number of vaccinated children are unsatisfactory. Repeated myths about harmfulness of vaccinations and fear of adverse postvaccination reactions are the reasons, why parents refuse to vaccinate their children. The control of biopolitics over vaccinations is a part of medicalization, which is strongly experienced by individuals with a high level of knowledge. Reliable information provided by a physician could increase the number of parents, who decide to vaccinate their children.

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