Factors associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19: The LA pandemic surveillance cohort study

Chun Nok Lam; William Nicholas; Alejandro De La Torre; Yanpui Chan; Jennifer B. Unger; Neeraj Sood; Howard Hu; Chun Nok Lam; William Nicholas; Alejandro De La Torre; Yanpui Chan; Jennifer B. Unger; Neeraj Sood; Howard Hu

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2022033

AIMS Public Health

2022, Volume 9, Issue 3: 482-489. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022033

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Research article

Factors associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19: The LA pandemic surveillance cohort study

1.
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
2.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, USA
3.
Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

Received: 21 March 2022 Revised: 28 April 2022 Accepted: 15 May 2022 Published: 25 May 2022

Background
Children age 5–11 became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in November 2021 in the United States, but vaccine uptake in this age group remains low. Understanding reasons why parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children may provide critical insights to help protect children from COVID-19 infection. This study examines factors associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children.

Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey focusing on the Los Angeles County adult residents between March and June 2021. Our analytic sample focused on a subgroup of participants who self-report having a child. Predictors included parents' vaccination status and beliefs about COVID-19. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis and calculated the predicted probabilities of parents' willingness to vaccinate their children.

Results
Parents (n = 401) who worried about catching the virus, had trust in vaccine development and the COVID-19 vaccine approval process, and vaccinated against COVID-19 were more likely to be willing to vaccinate their children. Socio-economic, racial and ethnic differences were no longer statistically significant in the adjusted model. Predicted probabilities of parents who were willing to vaccine their children were 55% among the vaccinated and 36% among the unvaccinated.

Conclusions
Parents' intent to vaccinate their children is influenced by their perceived severity of the pandemic, trust in the vaccine development process, and their vaccination status, which can be the potential drivers of hesitancy to vaccinate their children.
- COVID-19,
- vaccination,
- hesitancy,
- parent,
- children
Citation: Chun Nok Lam, William Nicholas, Alejandro De La Torre, Yanpui Chan, Jennifer B. Unger, Neeraj Sood, Howard Hu. Factors associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19: The LA pandemic surveillance cohort study[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2022, 9(3): 482-489. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022033

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Abstract

Background

Children age 5–11 became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in November 2021 in the United States, but vaccine uptake in this age group remains low. Understanding reasons why parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children may provide critical insights to help protect children from COVID-19 infection. This study examines factors associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate their children.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey focusing on the Los Angeles County adult residents between March and June 2021. Our analytic sample focused on a subgroup of participants who self-report having a child. Predictors included parents' vaccination status and beliefs about COVID-19. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis and calculated the predicted probabilities of parents' willingness to vaccinate their children.

Results

Parents (n = 401) who worried about catching the virus, had trust in vaccine development and the COVID-19 vaccine approval process, and vaccinated against COVID-19 were more likely to be willing to vaccinate their children. Socio-economic, racial and ethnic differences were no longer statistically significant in the adjusted model. Predicted probabilities of parents who were willing to vaccine their children were 55% among the vaccinated and 36% among the unvaccinated.

Conclusions

Parents' intent to vaccinate their children is influenced by their perceived severity of the pandemic, trust in the vaccine development process, and their vaccination status, which can be the potential drivers of hesitancy to vaccinate their children.

Acknowledgments

The LA Pandemic Surveillance Cohort Study is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Office of the President University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and the Keck Family Foundation.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

References

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