Keene K, Balasubramanian A, Potter A, Cioffredi LA. Maternal worry of children contracting COVID-19 predicts vaccine uptake in young children in Vermont.
Vaccine X 2024;
16:100442. [PMID:
38318233 PMCID:
PMC10839441 DOI:
10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100442]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background
Young children, 6 months to 4 years of age, were the last population for whom the COVID-19 vaccines became available and remain the group with the lowest uptake. Scarce information exists on drivers of vaccine uptake in young children. The relationship between parental perceived risk of infection and child COVID-19 vaccination is unknown.
Objective
Examine the association between perceived risk of infection and early childhood vaccination.
Methods
In June 2020, perinatal women in Vermont were enrolled in a longitudinal survey study assessing life changes during the pandemic. Surveys included worry of infection, Parents Attitude about Childhood Vaccines (PACV), intention to vaccinate children with the COVID-19 vaccine, and masking behaviors. Once vaccines became available, surveys also included child vaccination status. A demographic-adjusted stepwise logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship of worry of infection and vaccine hesitancy on child vaccination status.
Results
85 women completed baseline and follow up surveys. Participants were highly adherent to adult COVID vaccines with 93 % at least partially vaccinated and only 3 % demonstrated general childhood vaccine hesitancy on the PACV. However, in this highly adherent population, only 61 % of young children are vaccinated. In univariate [OR = 7.35 95 % CI (2.70 to 20.02)] and demographic adjusted [OR = 6.03 95 % CI (1.30 to 27.90)] models, current worry about child infection was associated with higher odds of child vaccination. Previously established predictors, vaccine hesitancy [OR = 0.91 95 % CI (0.84 to 0.99)] and younger maternal age [OR = 1.33 95 % CI (1.07 to 1.65)] were again associated lower odds of child vaccination.
Conclusion
Among vaccine adherent parents, worry of infection was a strong predictor of vaccine uptake. Continued efforts to articulate the potential morbidity of COVID in young children, along with established methods to address general vaccine hesitancy may aid in COVID vaccine uptake in this population.
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