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Tiruneh YM, Cuccaro PM, Elliott KS, Xie J, Martinez J, Owens M, Alvarado CR, Yamal JM. Vaccine Uptake and Intentions: Insights from a Texas Survey on Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccination Decisions. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:601. [PMID: 38932330 PMCID: PMC11209159 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines depends on widespread vaccine uptake. Employing a telephone-administered weighted survey with 19,502 participants, we examined the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among adults in Texas. We used multiple regression analysis with LASSO-selected variables to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intentions to receive the vaccine among the unvaccinated. The prevalence of unvaccinated individuals (22%) was higher among those aged 18-39, males, White respondents, English speakers, uninsured individuals, those facing financial challenges, and individuals expressing no concern about contracting the illness. In a fully adjusted regression model, higher odds of being unvaccinated were observed among males (aOR 1.11), the uninsured (aOR 1.38), smokers (aOR 1.56), and those facing financial struggles (aOR 1.62). Conversely, Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics were less likely to be unvaccinated compared to Whites. Among the unvaccinated, factors associated with stronger intent to receive the vaccine included age (over 65 years), Black and Hispanic ethnicity, and perceived risk of infection. Hispanic individuals, the uninsured, those covered by public insurance, and those facing financial challenges were more likely to encounter barriers to vaccine receipt. These findings underscore the importance of devising tailored strategies, emphasizing nuanced approaches that account for demographic, socioeconomic, and attitudinal factors in vaccine distribution and public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yordanos M. Tiruneh
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Paula M. Cuccaro
- Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 78701, USA;
| | - Kimberly S. Elliott
- Department of Health Policy, Economics, and Management, School of Professions, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA;
| | - Jing Xie
- Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.X.); (J.M.); (J.-M.Y.)
| | - Journey Martinez
- Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.X.); (J.M.); (J.-M.Y.)
| | - Mark Owens
- Department of Political Science, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409, USA;
| | - Christian R. Alvarado
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA;
| | - Jose-Miguel Yamal
- Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.X.); (J.M.); (J.-M.Y.)
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Rivers P, Porter C, LeClair LB, Jeddy Z, Fowlkes AL, Lamberte JM, Herder K, Smith M, Rai R, Grant L, Hegmann KT, Jovel K, Vaughan M, Mathenge C, Phillips AL, Khan S, Britton A, Pilishvili T, Burgess JL, Newes-Adeyi G, Gaglani M, Caban-Martinez A, Yoon S, Lutrick K. Longitudinal parental perception of COVID-19 vaccines for children in a multi-site, cohort study. Vaccine 2024; 42:1512-1520. [PMID: 38307743 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake is not well understood. Among parents of a prospective cohort of children aged 6 months-17 years, we assessed COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and uptake over 15 months. METHODS The PROTECT study collected sociodemographic characteristics of children at enrollment and COVID-19 vaccination data and parental KAPs quarterly. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the effect of KAPs on vaccine uptake; McNemar's test for paired samples was used to evaluate KAP change over time. RESULTS A total of 2,837 children were enrolled, with more than half (61 %) vaccinated by October 2022. Positive parental beliefs about vaccine safety and effectiveness strongly predicted vaccine uptake among children aged 5-11 years (aOR 13.1, 95 % CI 8.5-20.4 and aOR 6.4, 95 % CI 4.3-9.6, respectively) and children aged 12+ years (aOR 7.0, 95 % CI 3.8-13.0 and aOR 8.9, 95 % CI 4.4-18.0). Compared to enrollment, at follow-up parents (of vaccinated and unvaccinated children) reported higher self-assessed vaccine knowledge, but more negative beliefs towards vaccine safety, effectiveness, and trust in government. Parents unlikely to vaccinate their children at enrollment reported more positive beliefs on vaccine knowledge, safety, and effectiveness at follow-up. CONCLUSION The PROTECT cohort allows for an examination of factors driving vaccine uptake and how beliefs about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines change over time. Findings of the current analysis suggest that these beliefs change over time and policies aiming to increase vaccine uptake should focus on vaccine safety and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zuha Jeddy
- Abt Associates, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Ashley L Fowlkes
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Ramona Rai
- Abt Associates, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Lauren Grant
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sana Khan
- University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Amadea Britton
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tamara Pilishvili
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Sarang Yoon
- Utah University, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Vepachedu S, Nurzenska A, Lohiniva AL, Hudi AH, Deku S, Birungi J, Greiner K, Sherlock J, Campbell C, Foster L. Understanding COVID-19 vaccination behaviors and intentions in Ghana: A Behavioral Insights (BI) study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292532. [PMID: 38335165 PMCID: PMC10857727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccine uptake is influenced by a variety of factors. Behavioral Insights (BI) can be used to address vaccine hesitancy to understand the factors that influence the decision to take or refuse a vaccine. METHODOLOGY This two-part study consisted of a survey designed to identify the influence of various drivers of people's COVID-19 vaccination status and their intention to take the vaccine in Ghana, as well as an experiment to test which of several behaviorally informed message frames had the greatest effect on vaccine acceptance. Data was collected from a total of 1494 participants; 1089 respondents (73%) reported already being vaccinated and 405 respondents (27%) reported not being vaccinated yet. The mobile phone-based surveys were conducted between December 2021 and January 2022 using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) to recruit study participants. Data analysis included regression models, relative weights analyses, and ANOVAs. RESULTS The findings indicated that vaccine uptake in Ghana is influenced more by social factors (what others think) than by practical factors such as ease of vaccination. Respondents' perceptions of their family's and religious leaders' attitudes towards the vaccine were among the most influential drivers. Unexpectedly, healthcare providers' positive attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccine had a significant negative relationship with respondents' vaccination behavior. Vaccine intention was positively predicted by risk perception, ease of vaccination, and the degree to which respondents considered the vaccine effective. Perceptions of religious leaders' attitudes also significantly and positively predicted respondents' intention to get vaccinated. Although perceptions of religious leaders' views about the vaccine are an important driver of vaccine acceptance, results asking respondents to rank-order who influences them suggest that people may not be consciously aware-or do not want to admit-the degree to which they are affected by what religious leaders think. Message frames that included fear, altruism, social norms were all followed by positive responses toward the vaccine, as were messages with three distinct messengers: Ghana Health Services, a doctor, and religious leaders. CONCLUSIONS What drives COVID-19 vaccine intentions does not necessarily drive behaviors. The results of this study can be used to develop appropriate COVID-19 vaccine uptake strategies targeting the most important drivers of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, using effective message frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Vepachedu
- Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Karen Greiner
- UNICEF Regional Office Central and West Africa, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Joseph Sherlock
- Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Chelsi Campbell
- Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Lori Foster
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Lendacki FR, Forst LS, Mehta SD, Kerins JL. COVID-19 vaccination requirements, encouragement and hesitancy among non-health care, non-congregate workers in Chicago: results from the WEVax survey. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:951. [PMID: 37231367 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15781-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While frontline and essential workers were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination in the United States, coverage rates and encouragement strategies among non-health care workers have not been well-described. The Chicago Department of Public Health surveyed non-health care businesses to fill these knowledge gaps and identify potential mechanisms for improving vaccine uptake. METHODS The Workplace Encouragement for COVID-19 Vaccination in Chicago survey (WEVax Chicago) was administered using REDCap from July 11 to September 12, 2022, to businesses previously contacted for COVID-19 surveillance and vaccine-related outreach. Stratified random sampling by industry was used to select businesses for phone follow-up; zip codes with low COVID-19 vaccine coverage were oversampled. Business and workforce characteristics including employee vaccination rates were reported. Frequencies of requirement, verification, and eight other strategies to encourage employee vaccination were assessed, along with barriers to uptake. Fisher's exact test compared business characteristics, and Kruskal-Wallis test compared numbers of encouragement strategies reported among businesses with high (> 75%) vs. lower or missing vaccination rates. RESULTS Forty-nine businesses completed the survey, with 86% having 500 or fewer employees and 35% in frontline essential industries. More than half (59%) reported high COVID-19 vaccination rates among full-time employees; most (75%) workplaces reporting lower coverage were manufacturing businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Verifying vaccination was more common than requiring vaccination (51% vs. 28%). The most frequently reported encouragement strategies aimed to improve convenience of vaccination (e.g., offering leave to be vaccinated (67%) or to recover from side effects (71%)), while most barriers to uptake were related to vaccine confidence (concerns of safety, side effects, and other skepticism). More high-coverage workplaces reported requiring (p = 0.03) or verifying vaccination (p = 0.07), though the mean and median numbers of strategies used were slightly greater among lower-coverage versus higher-coverage businesses. CONCLUSIONS Many WEVax respondents reported high COVID-19 vaccine coverage among employees. Vaccine requirement, verification and addressing vaccine mistrust may have more potential to improve coverage among working-age Chicagoans than increasing convenience of vaccination. Vaccine promotion strategies among non-health care workers should target low-coverage businesses and assess motivators in addition to barriers among workers and businesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R Lendacki
- Chicago Department of Public Health, 1340 S. Damen Ave. 4th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Linda S Forst
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Supriya D Mehta
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Janna L Kerins
- Chicago Department of Public Health, 1340 S. Damen Ave. 4th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA
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Kalra S, Kalra D, Grafova I, Rubin JS, Monheit A, Cantor J, Duberstein P, Bhuyan SS. Association of death or illness from COVID-19 among family and friends on vaccine uptake within four months of the Emergency Use Authorization. Findings from a national survey in the United States. Vaccine 2023; 41:1911-1915. [PMID: 36682984 PMCID: PMC9837229 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between knowing that a friend or family member became ill with, or died from, COVID-19 and receiving a vaccine dose within four months of the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization. METHODS A national sample of 1,517 respondents were surveyed from April 7 to April 12, 2021, 1,193 of whom were eligible for the vaccine when the data were collected. RESULTS Respondents who knew someone who became ill with COVID-19 (AOR = 2.32, 95 % CI 1.74-3.09) or knew someone who died (AOR = 2.29, 95 % CI 1.32-3.99) from COVID-19 were more likely to receive at least a single COVID-19 vaccine dose. CONCLUSION Encouraging people to share their COVID-19 illness and bereavement experiences with their local network such as friends, families, social-networks and via social media might help increase vaccine uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Kalra
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Deepak Kalra
- Department of Neurology, Penn State College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Irina Grafova
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Julia Sass Rubin
- Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Alan Monheit
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Joel Cantor
- Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Paul Duberstein
- Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Soumitra S Bhuyan
- Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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Hori D, Takahashi T, Kaneda Y, Ozaki A, Tabuchi T. The influence of information sources on intention changes to receive COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study in Japan. Environ Health Prev Med 2023; 28:10. [PMID: 36725028 PMCID: PMC9922561 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.22-00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Before the COVID-19 vaccine became available, many Japanese people were undecided about whether or not to receive them. Their decisions were keys to achieving herd immunity. The impact of the type of information source on the COVID-19 vaccine uptake decision-making process remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between information source usage on COVID-19 and subsequent vaccine uptake status among those who have yet to decide whether to receive vaccines from non-prioritized people for vaccination. METHODS Prospective cohort online self-administered surveys were conducted in February 2021 (T1), before the start of the mass vaccination program, and September-October 2021 (T2), when the vaccines were available to all citizens. The survey's target population was registered monitors of an Internet research company. Participants who answered "I want to get vaccinated after waiting to see how it goes." at T1 were eligible for analysis. The outcome variable was the COVID-19 vaccine uptake status in T2, and the predictors were 20 types of information sources, categorized based on people (family members, etc.), institutions (governments, etc.), or media (TV news, etc.). Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using logistic regression adjusted for possible confounders. RESULTS The 5,139 respondents, mean age and standard deviation was 42.8 ± 12.5, 55.7% female, were eligible for analysis. 85.7% completed vaccination (including reserved/intended people) in T2. In the multivariate logistic analysis, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for vaccine uptake were 1.49 (1.18-1.89) for workplaces/schools, 1.81 (1.33-2.47) for LINE, 0.69 (0.55-0.86) for Internet news and 0.62 (0.48-0.82) for video sharing sites. CONCLUSIONS The type of information source usage played an important role in the decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. Although caution is needed in interpreting the results, obtaining information from workplaces/schools and LINE was influential in promoting immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Hori
- Occupational and Aerospace Psychiatry Group, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Takahashi
- Occupational and Aerospace Psychiatry Group, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Yudai Kaneda
- School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8638, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima 972-8322, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tabuchi
- Cancer Control Center, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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Drouin O, Fontaine P, Arnaud Y, Montmarquette C, Prud'homme A, Da Silva RB. Parental decision and intent towards COVID-19 vaccination in children with asthma: an econometric analysis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1547. [PMID: 35964026 PMCID: PMC9375633 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13933-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Vaccination will be instrumental in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination of children will be necessary to achieve herd immunity. Given that children with chronic health conditions may be at increased risk of COVID-19, it is crucial to understand factors influencing parental decisions about whether to have their child vaccinated. The study objectives were to measure parental intent to have their child with asthma vaccinated against COVID-19 and identify the determinants of their vaccination decision. Study design This study is based on a cross-sectional exploratory observational online survey assessing parents' risk perception in the context of COVID-19. Methods In this study conducted in August 2020, the primary outcome was parent’s answer to the question on their intention to get their child vaccinated if a vaccine against COVID-19 was available. Participants were also asked about their intention to get vaccinated themselves. Independent variables studied included sociodemographic, clinical data (e.g. presence of other chronic diseases), psychological, cognitive and risk perception related to COVID-19. Simultaneous equations models (3SLS) and seemingly unrelated regressions model (SUR) were carried out to identify factors associated with intention to have the child vaccinated and participants’ intention to get vaccinated themselves against COVID-19. Results A total of 305 participants completed the survey. Overall, 19.1% of participants reported being unlikely or very unlikely to vaccinate their child against COVID-19 if a vaccine was available. Similarly, 21.0% were unlikely or very unlikely to get vaccinated themselves. The following factors were significantly associated with parents’ decision to have their child vaccinated: parental level of education (p = 0.003), employment status (p < 0.001), sex of the child (p = 0.019), presence of other chronic diseases (p = 0.028), whether or not the child had been vaccinated against influenza in the past (p < 0.001), parental anxiety (p = 0.046), and consultation with a health professional since the beginning of the pandemic (p = 0.009). There was a strong relationship between likelihood of not intending to have one’s child vaccinated and personal intent not to get vaccinated. Conclusion These findings are essential in planning for the communication and dissemination of COVID-19 vaccination information to parents, especially for children with asthma or other chronic medical conditions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13933-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Drouin
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Third floor (Office 3029), Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Pierre Fontaine
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, 2900 boulevard Edouard-Montpetit (Pavillon Roger-Gaudry), Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Yann Arnaud
- CIRANO (Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche en Analyse Des Organisations), 1130 rue Sherbrooke Ouest #1400, Montréal, QC, H3A 2M8, Canada
| | - Claude Montmarquette
- CIRANO (Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche en Analyse Des Organisations), 1130 rue Sherbrooke Ouest #1400, Montréal, QC, H3A 2M8, Canada
| | - Alexandre Prud'homme
- CIRANO (Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche en Analyse Des Organisations), 1130 rue Sherbrooke Ouest #1400, Montréal, QC, H3A 2M8, Canada
| | - Roxane Borgès Da Silva
- CIRANO (Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche en Analyse Des Organisations), 1130 rue Sherbrooke Ouest #1400, Montréal, QC, H3A 2M8, Canada. .,Department of Management, Evaluation and Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Third Floor (Office 3076), Montréal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada.
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Evaluating COVID-19 Vaccine Willingness and Hesitancy among Parents of Children Aged 5–11 Years with Chronic Conditions in Italy. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030396. [PMID: 35335028 PMCID: PMC8953590 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination has been extended to include children aged 5–11 years. This cross-sectional survey evaluated parental COVID-19 vaccine willingness and hesitancy, and associated factors, for their children aged 5–11 years with chronic conditions. A telephone survey was conducted from 14 December 2021 to 4 January 2022. The questionnaire assessed participants’ socio-demographic and health-related information, attitudes towards COVID-19 infection, hesitancy, by using the PACV-5 (Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines Survey Tool), and sources of information. A total of 430 answers were collected anonymously. Respondents with no cohabitant who had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 and having been vaccinated against COVID-19 had a higher concern about the severity of COVID-19. The parents’ perceived risk that the child could be infected by SARS-CoV-2 was higher in those more concerned about the severity of COVID-19, with an older child, and who had at least one cohabitant positive for COVID-19. Only 38.8% parents were willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Parents who did not need additional information, those with higher education, those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, those whose child was older, who had received information on this vaccination from physicians, with higher self-reported concern about the severity of COVID-19, and who had a higher perceived risk that their child could be infected by SARS-CoV-2, expressed a greater willingness to vaccinate their child. Overall, 26.3% were high-hesitant, with a PACV-5 score ≥ 7. Respondents who did not get the COVID-19 vaccine, were less educated, with a lower concern about severity of COVID-19, and with a lower perceived risk that their child could be infected by SARS-CoV-2, were more likely to be high-hesitant. New policies and educational programs regarding COVID-19 vaccination for children with chronic conditions are needed to reduce hesitancy and increase vaccination uptake.
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