The Kansas Health Institute, an independent non-profit health policy and research organization located in Topeka, Kansas, is conducting an important study about childhood immunization. They are seeking parents of young children (age 1 to 6 years) who have questions or concerns about the immunizations being recommended for their children and who would be willing to talk about those concerns in a small group setting.

The goal of this study is to deepen their understanding of the vaccine-related questions and concerns of parents of young children. They plan to explore this issue by holding focus groups with small groups of parents in communities across Kansas, asking participants to share information about their vaccine questions and concerns and what sources of information they trust and rely upon in seeking answers to those questions.

The focus groups will be conducted by members of the research team at the Kansas Health Institute. Note that their role in this study will be as listeners and data-gatherers; no attempts will be made to persuade or change the views of parents who participate in the discussions.

They will be convening an evening focus group session in Hutchinson in November. The group discussion will last approximately two hours. Parents who participate in a focus group session will be offered a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com as a token of appreciation for their time and participation in our study.

If you are interested in participating in the focus group, please contact the Kansas Health Institute, (785) 233-5443 and ask to talk with someone about the “Immunization Study”.