Table 1 Emerging themes-direction of influence on immunisation behaviour

Social influence

Influence from male partner

Father's offer support in form of transport to immunisation unit

All

Positive

Father's make the decision to immunise

Female FGDs

Both positive and negative

Joint decision to immunise or not

All (emphasized more among male FGDs)

Positive

Less power for decision making

Female FGDs

Negative influence for women

Influence from older generation and peers

Decision making involves kin

All

Mostly negative

Decision to immunise against spousal consent encouraged by experienced mothers

Female FGDs (older women) and female key informant

Positive

Intimate partner violence

Female FGDs

Negative

Social stigma against teenage mothers

Female KII

Negative

Self-efficacy

Difficult to access immunisation unit

All

Negative

Vaccines sometimes out of stock

All

Negative

Have to choose between money for transport and food

All FGDs

Negative

Lack of presentable clothing

Female FGDs

Negative

Gender roles

All

Negative for the men

Lack of job security leading to choice between work and immunisation

All

Negative

Attitude

Trust in immunisation

Believe immunisation is beneficial

All

Positive

Perception of lack of trust in immunisation programme/immunisation is harmful to the child's health

All

Negative

Fear of vaccine side effects leading to drop out or delayed immunisation

Mostly female FGDs

Negative

Programmatic preferences

Preference for routine immunisation services

All

Positive

Reasons for preference of routine services:

Health workers take responsibility if complications develop after immunisation

All

Positive

Routine services have a fixed address

All

Positive

Forceful methods of conducting mass immunisation exercises

All

Negative