Parents’ perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations for children: a qualitative analysis

Wigle, Jannah; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Juandó-Prats, Clara; Allan, Kate; Li, Xuedi; Howard, Lisa C.; Fallon, Barbara; Birken, Catherine S.; Maguire, Jonathon L.; Parsons, Janet

doi:10.1503/cmaj.221401

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This has been previously reported with specific reference to the complexity of vaccine decision making 35 . It also echoes a recent finding in which parents reported that making a decision about vaccinating their child was ‘challenging and expressed difficulty sourcing and evaluating evidence, and balancing their own conceptions of healthcare decisions with societal expectations and political messaging’ 36 …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…35 It also echoes a recent finding in which parents reported that making a decision about vaccinating their child was 'challenging and expressed difficulty sourcing and evaluating evidence, and balancing their own conceptions of healthcare decisions with societal expectations and political messaging'. 36 Further, the need to make decisions with little information or conflicting information was stressful and challenging for many parents. 30 Advancing knowledge and understanding around the situated experiences of parents during the pandemic will inform decisions for implementing knowledge mobilisation strategies as we move beyond the pandemic and for other public health issues, including regular seasonal outbreaks and future epidemics.…”

Section: Parent Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It's quite a balancing act’: A qualitative study of parents' experiences and information needs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic

Hartling,

Elliott,

Wright

et al. 2024

Health Expectations

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IntroductionThroughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, parents and children faced significant challenges as a result of prevention measures implemented to control the spread of the disease. Ensuring that families have access to essential health information is critical for improving health outcomes and adherence to public health recommendations. Understanding parents' experiences and information needs related to the pandemic and associated health measures (e.g., vaccination, mask wearing, social distancing, etc.) will inform the development and dissemination of resources tailored to parents' needs to support informed decision making.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative descriptive study. Between September and November 2021, parents across Canada were recruited online via social media and community organisation newsletters and listservs to participate in focus groups via Zoom. Focus groups were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire before the focus groups (via SimpleSurveys).ResultsSixty‐seven parents participated in 12 focus groups between October and November 2021. In relation to experiences, parents felt they were (1) constantly trying to balance everything, and (2) trying to do their best with the information they had at the time when making decisions. Regarding information needs, parents reflected on (1) how difficult it was navigating copious amounts of changing information and finding credible sources to rely on, (2) the need for resources that were easily accessible, credible and in plain language and (3) the need for resources that were tailored to their needs to support them and their children make informed decisions.ConclusionsTrying to mitigate the risk of COVID‐19 infection and adhere to public health recommendations, while balancing various factors (work, online learning, and social interactions) and navigating changing information, was overwhelming for many parents. Reflecting on their needs, parents suggested tailored resources that provided concise, credible information in plain language to help them make informed decisions and navigate conflicting information. These findings reveal important knowledge gaps and highlight areas that need to be addressed to support parents during the pandemic period and beyond.Patient or Public ContributionMembers of our established Paediatric Parent Advisory Group (P‐PAG) were involved as collaborators throughout the planning (grant proposal), development and execution of the study. P‐PAG members gave input on the design of the questionnaire, interview guide, recruitment strategy and interpretation of findings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Parent Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It's quite a balancing act’: A qualitative study of parents' experiences and information needs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic

Hartling,

Elliott,

Wright

et al. 2024

Health Expectations

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An Ontario qualitative study pinpointed factors like the novelty of COVID-19 vaccines, the evidence supporting their use, politicization of vaccine guidance, social pressure, and balancing individual versus collective benefits as essential for parental decisions to vaccinate their children [12] . A Montreal-based study revealed that social inequalities in childhood COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake have emerged, affecting lower-income households, racialized groups, and immigrants [13] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with childhood non-vaccination against COVID-19 in Canada: A national survey analysis

Guan,

Dave,

Ebrahim

et al. 2024

Vaccine: X

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Physicians’ perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations for children: a qualitative exploration in Ontario, Canada

Hodwitz,

Wigle,

Juando-Prats

et al. 2024

BMJ Open

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ObjectivesParents’ decisions to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 are complex and often informed by discussions with primary care physicians. However, little is known about physicians’ perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations for children or their experiences counselling parents in their decision-making. We explored physicians’ experiences providing COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to parents and their reflections on the contextual factors that shaped these experiences.DesignWe conducted an interpretive qualitative study using in-depth interviews. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and a socioecological framework.SettingThis study involved primary care practices associated with The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!) primary care research network in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada.ParticipantsParticipants were 10 primary care physicians, including family physicians, paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists.ResultsParticipants discussed elements at the individual level (their identity, role, and knowledge), the interpersonal level (their relationships with families, responsiveness to parents’ concerns, and efforts to build trust) and structural level (contextual factors related to the evolving COVID-19 climate, health system pandemic response, and constraints on care delivery) that influenced their experiences providing recommendations to parents. Our findings illustrated that physicians’ interactions with families were shaped by a confluence of their own perspectives, their responses to parents’ perspectives, and the evolving landscape of the broader pandemic.ConclusionsOur study underscores the social and relational nature of vaccination decision-making and highlights the multiple influences on primary care physicians’ experiences providing COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to parents. Our findings offer suggestions for future COVID-19 vaccination programmes for children. Delivery of new COVID-19 vaccinations for children may be well suited within primary care offices, where trusting relationships are established, but physicians need support in staying knowledgeable about emerging information, communicating available evidence to parents to inform their decision-making and dedicating time for vaccination counselling.

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Parents’ perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations for children: a qualitative analysis

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

‘It's quite a balancing act’: A qualitative study of parents' experiences and information needs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic

‘It's quite a balancing act’: A qualitative study of parents' experiences and information needs related to the COVID‐19 pandemic

Factors associated with childhood non-vaccination against COVID-19 in Canada: A national survey analysis

Physicians’ perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations for children: a qualitative exploration in Ontario, Canada

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