Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (Nov 2022)

Reasons underlying the intention to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19: A cross-sectional study of parents in Israel, November 2021

  • Nicole G. Morozov,
  • Amiel A. Dror,
  • Amani Daoud,
  • Netanel Eisenbach,
  • Edward Kaykov,
  • Masad Barhoum,
  • Tsvi Sheleg,
  • Eyal Sela,
  • Michael Edelstein

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2112879
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 6

Abstract

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Vaccination is a key tool to mitigate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Israel, COVID-19 vaccines became available to adults in December 2020 and to 5–11-year-old children in November 2021. Ahead of the vaccine roll-out in children, we aimed to determine whether surveyed parents intended to vaccinate their children and describe reasons for their intentions. We collected information on parental socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine history, intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, and reasons for parental decisions using an anonymous online survey. We identified associations between parental characteristics and plans to vaccinate children using a logistic regression model and described reasons for intentions to vaccinate or not. Parental non-vaccination and having experienced major vaccination side effects were strongly associated with non-intention to vaccinate their children (OR 0.09 and 0.18 respectively, p < .001). Parents who were younger, lived in the socio-economically deprived periphery, and belonged to the Arab population had lower intentions to vaccinate their children. Reasons for non-intention to vaccinate included concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy (53%, 95%CI 50–56) and the belief that COVID-19 is a mild disease (73%, 95%CI 73–79), while a frequent motive for vaccination was the return to normal social and educational life (89%, 95%CI 87–91). Understanding rationales for COVID-19 vaccine rejection or acceptance, as well as parental demographic data, can pave the way for intentional educational campaigns to encourage not only vaccination against COVID-19, but also regular childhood vaccine programming.

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