Attitudes and intentions of parents towards the COVID-19 vaccine for their children at a special moment of the pandemic

Abstract

Background This research was conducted following the FDA’s approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Our study aimed to evaluate parents’ intentions regarding vaccinating their children in response to the pandemic situation. This period was crucial for understanding parents’ initial reactions to health authority recommendations. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 940 parents. The data were obtained using the Personal Information Form, the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, and the Scale of Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccine. Descriptive data analysis involved calculating frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation values. We employed Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA tests for analysis. Additionally, various characteristics were analyzed using the two-way logistic regression method. Results In the study, 85.1% of the parents reported having received the COVID-19 vaccine themselves. However, only 20% stated they would accept the COVID-19 vaccine for their children. The intention to vaccinate their children was influenced by factors such as the parent’s age, level of COVID-19 anxiety, vaccination status, and knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion Despite the FDA’s declaration, it was determined that more than two-thirds of parents were hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.

Keywords

• Child health
• Health authority
• Pandemic
• Immunization