Parents’ Intentions to Vaccinate Their Children Against COVID-19

doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2021.04.005

Journal of Pediatric Health Care

Volume 35, Issue 5, September–October 2021, Pages 509-517

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2021.04.005 Get rights and content

Introduction

With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is well underway now beginning in children ages 12 and over, it is unknown what percent of parents plan to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

Method

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to examine parents’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in administering a COVID-19 vaccine.

Results

Only 21.93% of the subjects reported overall VH. Half of parents (49.45%) say they want the COVID vaccine for their child, and 44.17% plan to vaccinate against COVID once the vaccine becomes available to them. Concern for vaccine side effects (61.5%) and vaccine safety (48.96%) were significant factors that increased VH. In addition, there was a significant correlation between parents who were planning to vaccinate their child against the flu and being less VH about a COVID-19 vaccine for their child.

Discussion

This is the first known study to describe parental perceptions’ of COVID-19 VH and identify factors that increase VH for parents.

KEY WORDS

COVID-19

vaccine hesitancy

parent-perceptions

vaccinations

Cited by (0)

Kristine M. Ruggiero, Assistant Professor of Nursing, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA; Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Scientist, Boston Children's Hospital, Waltham, MA; Nurse Faculty at Boston Nursing Institute, Waltham, MA.

John Wong, Associate Professor of Nursing, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Waltham, MA.

Casey Fryer Sweeney, Nurse Practitioner, Mass General Brigham Urgent Care, Boston, MA.

Alicia Avola, Graduate Student, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.

Andria Auger, Graduate Student, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.

Madeline Macaluso, Graduate Student, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.

Patricia Reidy, Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.

: This work was supported by a COVID-19 grant from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA.

: Conflicts of interest: None to report.

View Abstract

Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.