Vaccine Hesitancy in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Context: Parental Vaccine Decision-Making and Coping with Stress Strategies.

The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that coping styles cause vaccine hesitancy or vice versa. Vaccination status was self-reported, which may be inaccurate. Participants were recruited from specific centers in one city in Türkiye, so results may not apply to other regions or cultures. There were significant demographic differences between the groups, particularly in parental education and family income, which may influence vaccine attitudes independently of the child's diagnosis. 14 participants were excluded from the main analysis due to missing data, and these individuals had lower education levels than those included, potentially biasing the sample.

The study was funded by Dokuz Eylül University. The authors did not report other conflicts of interest.

Do not assume that the child's diagnosis itself causes the vaccine hesitancy. The parents of children with ASD also had lower education levels and family incomes on average than the comparison groups, and these socioeconomic factors are known to influence health decisions. The study adjusted for these variables, but residual differences may still play a role.