Preferences of nurses in the United Kingdom for attributes of pediatric hexavalent vaccines: a discrete-choice experiment
Creators: name: Poulos, Christine
name: Marcek, Tomas
name: Chintakayala, Phani
name: Boeri, Marco
name: Francis, Amy
name: Langevin, Edith
name: Petigara, Tanaz
name: O’Connor, Jenny
name: Samant, Salome
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Virology

description: Given the limited evidence on UK nurses’ preferences for pediatric hexavalent vaccines, we aimed to evaluate their preferences for these vaccines’ attributes. In a discrete-choice experiment study, 150 nurses chose between 2 hypothetical pediatric hexavalent vaccines with varying attribute levels (device type, plastic in packaging, time on the market, and time the vaccine can stay safely at room temperature) in a series of choice questions. Using random-parameters logit-model estimates, conditional relative attribute importance (CRAI) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Device type (with associated preparation time and risk of dosage errors) was the most important attribute (CRAI, 61%), followed by years on the market (CRAI, 25%). The odds of choosing a prefilled syringe were nearly 3 times the odds of choosing syringe-and-vial combinations requiring reconstitution (OR, 2.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.93–3.68). Vaccines on the market for &lt; 1 year were less likely to be preferred to vaccines available for &gt; 3 years (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47–0.84). ORs for time a vaccine can stay at room temperature (3 vs. 6 days) (0.94; 95% CI, 0.71–1.16) and plastic blisters in packaging (1.19; 95% CI, 0.80–1.56) were not significant, indicating that these attributes did not influence choices. In this survey, nurses’ preferences were mainly influenced by device type. Little is known about the preferences of nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) for different pediatric hexavalent vaccine attributes. We conducted a discrete-choice experiment study among nurses in the UK to explore their preferences for pediatric hexavalent vaccine attributes.Of the attributes considered in the study, the most important for nurses was the device used to deliver the vaccine, with its associated preparation time and risk of dosage errors. Nurses were almost 3 times more likely to prefer a ready-to-use vaccine in a prefilled syringe over a vaccine available as a syringe and vial that requires reconstitution before administration.Nurses also generally preferred vaccines that have been available for longer than 3 years to those that have been available for less than 1 year. Nurses did not have clear preferences for the presence of plastic blisters in vaccine packaging or for how long vaccines can be stored at room temperature before needing to be discarded.In this survey, UK nurses’ preferences for hexavalent vaccines were primarily influenced by device type. Little is known about the preferences of nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) for different pediatric hexavalent vaccine attributes. We conducted a discrete-choice experiment study among nurses in the UK to explore their preferences for pediatric hexavalent vaccine attributes. Of the attributes considered in the study, the most important for nurses was the device used to deliver the vaccine, with its associated preparation time and risk of dosage errors. Nurses were almost 3 times more likely to prefer a ready-to-use vaccine in a prefilled syringe over a vaccine available as a syringe and vial that requires reconstitution before administration. Nurses also generally preferred vaccines that have been available for longer than 3 years to those that have been available for less than 1 year. Nurses did not have clear preferences for the presence of plastic blisters in vaccine packaging or for how long vaccines can be stored at room temperature before needing to be discarded. In this survey, UK nurses’ preferences for hexavalent vaccines were primarily influenced by device type.