Preferences for vaccines against children’s diarrheal illness among mothers in Poland and Hungary

•We evaluated mothers’ preferences for rotavirus vaccination in Hungary and Poland.•Vaccine cost and effectiveness and disease severity are key drivers for vaccination.•In Poland, disruptions in work, child care, and routines also motivate mothers.•In Hungary, working mothers are less likely than non-working mothers to opt out. Although the World Health Organization recommends universal rotavirus immunization, uptake of the vaccine is low in Poland and Hungary, where it is not covered by the National Immunization Program. This study aimed to quantify mothers’ preferences for vaccines preventing children’s diarrheal illness and to examine whether willingness to vaccinate varies with working status. Mothers of children aged