Addressing Parental Vaccine Hesitancy and Other Barriers to Childhood/Adolescent Vaccination Uptake During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Abstract

Routine childhood immunizations are proven to be one of the most effective public health interventions at controlling numerous deadly diseases. Therefore, the CDC recommends routine immunizations for children and adolescent populations against vaccine-preventable diseases e.g., tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, etc. This current review sought to examine barriers to pediatric vaccine uptake behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored the implications for parental vaccine hesitancy/delay during an ongoing health crisis and proposed recommendations for increasing vaccine confidence and compliance. Our review determined that the receipt for vaccinations steadily improved in the last decade for both the United States and Tennessee. However, this incremental progress has been forestalled by the COVID-19 pandemic and other barriers i.e. parental vaccine hesitancy, social determinants of health (SDoH) inequalities, etc. which further exacerbate vaccination disparities. Moreover, non-compliance to routine vaccinations could cause an outbreak of diseases, thereby, worsening the ongoing health crisis and already strained health care system. Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to offer effective recommendations with presumptive languaging to increase vaccination rates, as well as, address parental vaccine hesitancy. Best practices that incorporate healthcare providers’ quality improvement coaching, vaccination reminder recall systems, adherence to standardized safety protocols (physical distancing, hand hygiene practices, etc.), as well as, offer telehealth and outdoor/drive-through/curbside vaccination services, etc. are warranted. Additionally, a concerted effort should be made to utilize public health surveillance systems to collect, analyze, and interpret data, thereby, ensuring the dissemination of timely, accurate health information for effective health policy decision-making e.g., vaccine distribution, etc.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent vaccinations: projected time to reverse deficits in routine adolescent vaccination in the United States

“…There is recent evidence that in adults, previous vaccination for influenza and/or pneumococcal disease in the months leading up to COVID-19 vaccination does not hamper the specific immune response to COVID-19 vaccination [24]. Additional barriers may include concerns regarding exposure to A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t COVID-19 in health care settings, restrictions on in-person office visits due to social distancing protocols, and access to these routine vaccinations [25]. While concerted efforts can be made to increase the health systems' capacity to administer additional doses and implement safety protocols to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 in healthcare settings, immediate efforts are needed to administer missed doses to adolescents nearing the end of the recommended vaccine age windows.…”

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization

“…Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, we have learned many important lessons that should inform future pandemic preparedness plans to help mitigate the many risks and challenges we have faced, including minimizing the impact on routine immunization programs. Vaccine hesitancy should continue to be addressed, as its impact is not limited to pandemic vaccines but continues to extend to routinely recommended vaccines [ 102 , 103 ]. We continue to learn how to leverage the increased awareness around the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and expand these call-to-action messages to routine immunizations, and also how potential use of novel strategies to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake (such as offering incentives) could also be applied for routinely recommended vaccines [ 104 , 105 ].…”

Lack of Trust, Insufficient knowledge and Risk denial; an in-depth Understanding of Health workers Barriers to uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine at Iganga Hospital Eastern Uganda, and Mengo Hospital Kampala Uganda

“…Although sometimes this happens in minority religious groups, they often have a negative multiplier prohibitive effect even to other members of the societies they live in [46]. Evidence of religious beliefs as a barrier to uptake of vaccines has been similarly established in other studies in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa [47][48][49][50]…”