The Reasons behind COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy among the Parents of Children Aged between 5 to 11 Years Old in Saudi Arabia

Child COVID-19 vaccine uptake among participants of the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children and to investigate factors associated with two outcomes variables: (a) not even beginning; (b) not completing the COVID-19 vaccine series.

METHODS

We used data of children aged 6-7 years from the 2015 Pelotas c Birth Cohort Study. COVID-19 vaccination status was collected from immunization cards and National Immunization Program Information System. Adjusted analyses were performed using a hierarchical model to identify factors associated with the two study outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 3867 children, 20.7 % (95 % CI, 19.5 %-22.0 %) did not even begin the 2-dose primary COVID-19 vaccine series, and 28.2 % (95 % CI, 26.6 %-29.8 %) did not complete the series with the second dose. Children not even beginning the COVID-19 vaccine series were more likely to have a White mother, not to have obesity, to have a history of COVID-19 infection, to have received non-recommended drugs for COVID-19, to be afraid of needles, and to have an incomplete diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) and poliovirus immunization schedule. Not completing the 2-dose series was associated with lower maternal age and education, mother's self-identification as White or Brown, lower household income, lack of access to health services, not having completed the DTP and poliovirus immunization schedule and living with a person with a history of infection with COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight a vaccine-hesitant parents' group who chose not beginning the COVID-19 vaccine series of their children and, another group of parents who failure to complete the child's series due to difficulty accessing health services.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Parents of Children Younger than 12 Years: Experience from a Tertiary Outpatient Clinic

This study explored parents' attitudes towards vaccinating their children against COVID-19 and the rate of vaccine hesitancy in Oman. A cross-sectional, online, self-administered questionnaire, previously validated and administered between June 2021 and May 2022, was used. The questionnaire consisted of nine items. Parents of children younger than 12 years were eligible for participation. A total of 384 participants, including 207 males (54%), completed the questionnaire, resulting in an 86% response rate (384/447). The results showed that 69% of participants were hesitant to vaccinate their children aged 1-11 years. In parents of children aged 1-4 years, vaccination status was significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy (odds ratio [OR], 0.116; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.044-0.306; p = 0.001). Furthermore, after multivariable analysis, compared to the fathers, mothers were significantly less likely to be associated with vaccine hesitancy (OR, 0.451; 95% CI, 0.240-0.848; p = 0.013).

Evaluating COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among parents in Saudi Arabia: a systematic review examining attitudes, hesitancy, and intentions

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, affecting adults and children equally, has caused significant disruption to countries worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the fast preventative measures and mass vaccine enrollment were vital to contain the devastating impact of the pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy, especially among parents toward vaccinating their children, was a significant obstacle to vaccine uptake.

Methods

This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines to assess parental willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, determine the key determinants influencing such intention and attitudes, and underline the significant concerns and misconceptions regarding the vaccine among parents. The Joanne Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies was used to assess included studies for risk of bias.

Results

Twenty-three studies were included in this systematic review, representing a total of 20,926 participants, with over 66% of them were female. Over 37% of the participants were willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Parents' age, gender, level of education, and income were the main determinants of their intention to vaccinate their children. The parents' main concerns were the potential vaccine side effects, safety, and efficacy. Major misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine included it being dangerous to children and that children are at lower risk of severe infection; hence, vaccines were not needed.

Discussion

This seminal review provides insights to public health policymakers, which should be considered and taken together in light of other studies addressing parental vaccine hesitancy.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and attitudes of subjects with disability and their carers in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to countries worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. The fast preventative measures and the mass vaccine enrollment were vital to contain the pandemic in the country. However, vaccine hesitancy was a significant obstacle to taking the vaccine but was not previously explored. One hundred eighty-six subjects with disabilities were enrolled in this study in an attempt to explore their hesitancy and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. Most participants were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and had a close family who was also diagnosed with it. Most of them were willing to be vaccinated but had not received previous vaccinations. Official sources of information, e.g., TV/radio, were an essential factor driving their intention to get vaccinated. Beliefs that drove participants' vaccine acceptance included vaccine safety, sufficient testing before its release, and its ability to protect from infection. The results of this seminal study provide insights to public health policymakers, which should be considered and taken together in light of other studies addressing the population's vaccine hesitancy.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among parents of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was noticed to be less common among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to explore the beliefs and willingness of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders about COVID-19 vaccine and understand how certain factors influencing the vaccine decision-making process differ between them and other parents' groups.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between August to November 2021. An Arabic online survey was distributed in August 2021 to collect the study's data. 400 parents from all the major regions in Saudi Arabia participated in and shared their beliefs about the new COVID-19 vaccination for their children.

RESULTS

Out of 400 participants, 381 of them were eligible to answer the survey (95.2%). The total number of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorder was 158 (41.5%), was compared to responses of parents of heathy children 223 (58.5%). 85 (53.8%) of them were ready to vaccinate their children with COVID-19 vaccine. While 36 (22.8%) were hesitant, the rest 37 (23.4%) did not want to vaccinate their children at all. Only a small number 16 (10.1%) have beliefs of vaccines as a cause of their child's neurodevelopmental disorder. A total of 79 out of 131 responses were received from both parents' groups. Fear of long-term side-effects was the most common reason reported by 41 responders out of 64 (64.06%) from parents of healthy children and 38 responders out of 67 (56.71%) from parents of diagnosed children. Another reason reported by parents of younger children in both groups was the child's age. Having a healthcare relative worker was significantly associated with the vaccine decision making (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders was low compared to the parents of healthy children in Saudi Arabia. Authorities can benefit from this study results to offer more accessible information about the vaccine importance and safety to the targeted population.

Uneventful Coadministration of Seasonal Influenza and COVID-19 BNT162b2 Vaccines Two Weeks Post-Influenza Vaccination in an Egg-Allergic Subject: A Case Report

The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, and although it has taken the world's attention, it did not stop the spread of other communicable diseases. Seasonal influenza is a viral infection that could cause severe disease; therefore, annual influenza vaccination is highly recommended, especially among patients with a weakened immune system. However, such vaccination is contraindicated for people with hypersensitivity to the vaccine or any of its components, e.g., eggs. This paper describes a case of an egg-allergic individual who received an influenza vaccine containing egg protein, which only caused mild tenderness at the site of injection. Two weeks later, the subject received a double vaccination of a second booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and the seasonal influenza vaccine. The patient reported no local or systemic adverse reactions to the vaccine. This case report suggests vaccination safety for subjects with mild allergies to vaccine components.