Vaccination Awareness Among Population in Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

One of the most successful inventions for modern medicine and public health are vaccines since they greatly influence our society. Administration of vaccine, vaccination, is a process in which an individual becomes immune to certain infectious diseases. Many diseases are eradicated with the usage of vaccines. The human population is a bit skeptical about vaccine safety and their side effects. Countries have developed their calendar of mandatory immunizations, and people are supposed to follow it regularly. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, immunization against some diseases, such as hepatitis b, rubella, diphtheria etc., is mandatory, and each individual should be vaccinated by 7 different vaccines, throughout their lifetime. Some vaccines are given once in the lifetime, and some should be repeated, according to the calendar. This research was conducted in Canton Sarajevo, and the survey was done by 330 persons of different gender, age, and education level. According to the results, 91,2% of respondents are supporting vaccination. Nevertheless, not all the respondents, or their children, have received all vaccines. There is no significant correlation between the level of education and vaccine awareness of respondents. This survey was done to see the awareness of vaccination of people living in Canton Sarajevo. The study was limited by the geographical area but could be improved if the whole country responds to the survey.