Positive Health Online

Abstract

FILICE and COLLEAGUES, 1 School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; 2 Département Anthropologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada; 3 Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada; 4 Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; 5 Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 6 Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America; 7 Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; 8 Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 9 Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada conducted a study to explore the content of professional guidelines, recommendations and other discourses among CAM providers as they concern vaccination by analyzing both academic, peer-reviewed literature and Canadian organizational webpages prepared by and/or for practicing chiropractors, naturopaths and homeopaths.

Background

Vaccine hesitancy-the reluctance to receive recommended vaccination because of concerns and doubts about vaccines-is recognized as a significant threat to the success of vaccination programs and has been associated with recent major outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Moreover, the association between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and vaccine hesitancy and/or refusal has been frequently reported in the literature.

Methodology

To date, significant gaps persist in our understanding of contemporary Canadian CAM providers' beliefs regarding vaccination and how socio-professional influences may shape their vaccine-related attitudes and behaviours. To address the latter gap, the current study aims to explore the content of professional guidelines, recommendations and other discourses among CAM providers as they concern vaccination by analyzing both academic, peer-reviewed literature and Canadian organizational webpages prepared by and/or for practicing chiropractors, naturopaths and homeopaths.

Results

In the academic literature, we identified a number of complex and diverging views on vaccination that spanned topics of effectiveness; safety; theoretical, empirical, and ethical soundness; political justifiability; and compatibility with CAM philosophy and professional boundaries. However, in its current state the CAM literature cannot be described in broad strokes as being either pro- or anti-vaccination without considering finer areas of disagreement. Compared to the academic literature, which focuses more on the conceptual and evidentiary basis of vaccination, a greater proportion of vaccine-related content on Canadian CAM organizations' webpages seems to be dedicated to offering specific directives and prescriptions to providers. Guidelines and standards of practice address a number of issues, including vaccine administration, counsel, education and marketing.

Conclusion

As CAM organizations further evolve in Canada and elsewhere as part of a broader "professionalization" initiative, greater attention will need to be directed at their role in shaping providers' beliefs and practices that both support and undermine vaccine promotion efforts.

References

Eric Filice  1 , Eve Dubé  2   3 , Janice E Graham  4 , Noni E MacDonald  4 , Julie A Bettinger  5 , Devon Greyson  6 , Shannon MacDonald  7 , S Michelle Driedger  8 , Greg Kawchuk  9 , Samantha B Meyer  1. Vaccination discourses among chiropractors, naturopaths and homeopaths: A qualitative content analysis of academic literature and Canadian organizational webpages PLoS One ;15(8):e0236691.  Aug 12 2020. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236691. eCollection 2020.