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. 2022 Nov-Dec;22(8):1399-1406.
doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.06.016. Epub 2022 Jul 5.

Parental COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Diverse Communities: A National Survey

Annabelle de St Maurice  1 , Ray Block Jr  2 , Gabriel Sanchez  3 , Peter G Szilagyi  4 ; African American Research Collaborative 2021 COVID Group
Affiliations

Parental COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Diverse Communities: A National Survey

Annabelle de St Maurice et al. Acad Pediatr. 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Objective: We surveyed a diverse group of US participants to understand parental coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy.

Methods: We administered a telephone and online survey from May 7 to June 7, 2021 using stratified sampling to ensure robust sample sizes of racial and ethnic minorities. Of the 20,280 contacted, 12,288 respondents completed the survey (response rate 61%). We used chi-square tests and adjusted risk ratios to compare results by racial/ethnic group.

Results: Overall, 23% of parents stated that they plan to (or have) vaccinated their children; 30% said that they would not vaccinate their children, and 25% were unsure. Latino/a, Native American, and Asian American-Pacific Islander (AAPI) parents were generally more likely to vaccinate their children than Black or White parents. After adjusting for demographic factors, AAPI parents were significantly more likely to vaccinate their children than were others. Of parents who said that they would not vaccinate their child, 55% stated it was due to insufficient research. However, over half of parents stated that they would follow their child's health care provider's recommendations. After adjusting for demographic factors, trust in their primary care doctor was significantly lower among AAPI, Black, and Native American parents than White parents.

Conclusions: Parental vaccine hesitancy was similar overall, but drivers of hesitancy varied by racial/ethnic groups. While the perception that vaccines had been "insufficiently researched" was a major concern among all groups, we found that parents are generally inclined to follow health providers' recommendations. Health professionals can play an important role in COVID-19 vaccine education and should provide access to vaccines.

Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019; immunizations; pediatrics; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; vaccine hesitancy.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Parental Reasons for Not Vaccinating Their Children. Each bar represents the proportion of parents within each racial and ethnic group who cite that particular reason for not vaccinating their child.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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