Khamsy’s story is common among rural communities and echo the new study’s stark statistic: 60 per cent of interviewed female caregivers reported a lack confidence in vaccine decisions, often deferring to husbands or elders. While in some cases mothers do lead vaccination decisions, particularly for routine immunization and HPV vaccines for girls, men in the family frequently hold the final authority, including the power to veto decisions. They also tend to have greater influence over vaccination choices for boys than mothers do. Regardless of who holds influence, the study highlights that adolescents generally have limited agency in making vaccination decisions, which are instead made primarily by parents and are often shaped by misinformation.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 