“Every Time It Comes Time for Another Shot, It’s a Re-Evaluation”: A Qualitative Study of Intent to Receive COVID-19 Boosters among Parents Who Were Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Ramey Moore,
Rachel S. Purvis,
Don E. Willis,
Ji Li,
Jonathan Langner,
Morgan Gurel-Headley,
Shashank Kraleti,
Geoffrey M. Curran,
Michael D. Macechko,
Pearl A. McElfish
Affiliations
Ramey Moore
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
Rachel S. Purvis
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
Don E. Willis
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
Ji Li
Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
Jonathan Langner
Office of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
Morgan Gurel-Headley
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
Shashank Kraleti
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
Geoffrey M. Curran
College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
Michael D. Macechko
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
Pearl A. McElfish
College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 2708 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762, USA
COVID-19 vaccine coverage remains low for US children, especially among those living in rural areas and the Southern/Southeastern US. As of 12 September 2023, the CDC recommended bivalent booster doses for everyone 6 months and older. Emerging research has shown an individual may be vaccine hesitant and also choose to receive a vaccine for themselves or their child(ren); however, little is known regarding how hesitant adopters evaluate COVID-19 booster vaccinations. We used an exploratory qualitative descriptive study design and conducted individual interviews with COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant adopter parents (n = 20) to explore COVID-19 parental intentions to have children receive COVID-19 boosters. Three primary themes emerged during the analysis: risk, confidence, and intent, with risk assessments from COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccine confidence often related to an individual parent’s intent to vaccinate. We also found links among individuals with persistent concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine and low COVID-19 vaccine confidence with conditional and/or low/no intent and refusal to receive recommended boosters for children. Our findings suggest that healthcare providers and public health officials should continue making strong recommendations for vaccines, continue to address parental concerns, and provide strong evidence for vaccine safety and efficacy even among the vaccinated.
