Perception of vaccine myths in daily clinical practice:A survey of healthcare professionals

Introduction. Misinformation is a barrier to immunization. The objective was to describe and categorize vaccine-related myths reported by healthcare professionals (HCPs). Population and methods. A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted using a survey administered during registration for a vaccine symposium, in which HCPs were invited to identify myths they had encountered in their practice. The open-ended responses were classified into their main categories and themes and synthesized using artificial intelligence. Results. A total of 679 HCPs responses were recorded; 751 myths were mentioned. Main categories: harm (46.2%), vaccine-specific myths (20.9%), and false contraindications (16.1%). Most frequent topics: "they cause autism" (23.0%), "they are harmful" (22.5%), "the flu vaccine causes the flu" (15.2%). Conclusion. The main myths were related to harm, and autism remains the most frequent myth. Communication tools are essential for daily practice.