The Mediating Role of the Perceived COVID-19 Vaccine Benefits: Examining Israeli Parents’ Perceptions Regarding Their Adolescents’ Vaccination

Abstract

Israel was among the first countries to initiate adolescent COVID-19 vaccination. As adolescent vaccination requires parental consent, we evaluated the factors associated with parents’ willingness to vaccinate their adolescents and their point of view regarding adolescents’ involvement in this decision. An online survey was completed by 581 parents of adolescents aged 16–18. The main independent variables included trust in the healthcare system, components of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and adolescents’ involvement in the decision, as well as background data, including demographics. Analysis included a multiple logistic regression and mediation examination. Parents reported that 446 adolescents (76.8%) have been or will soon be vaccinated against COVID-19, 12.2% chose not to vaccinate their child and 11% have not yet decided. Vaccination was significantly associated with HBM components and with adolescents’ involvement in the decision. The perceived vaccination benefits acted as a mediator in the association between parents’ COVID-19 perceived threat and adolescent vaccination, as well as between parents’ trust in the healthcare system and adolescent vaccination. Addressing vaccination benefits and barriers is pivotal in the attempt to enhance adolescents’ vaccination adherence. Considering the importance of adolescents’ involvement in the decision, addressing them directly may also be beneficial in improving vaccination rates.

The effects of parent’s health literacy and health beliefs on vaccine hesitancy

“…In other words, the high rate of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in mainland, China, may be associated with the increased health literacy of lay public in the past decades. However, although previous studies have looked at the effect of health beliefs [57] , [58] , [59] , it lacks the evidence connecting health beliefs, health literacy and vaccine-related decisions. Our research has extended the existing findings by linking parent’s health literacy, health beliefs and vaccine hesitancy, and addressing the major pathway underlying the effect of health literacy was that it may reduce people’s perceived barriers in making decisions for children’s COVID-19 vaccination.…”

“The Right to Our Own Body Is Over”: Justifications of COVID-19 Vaccine Opponents on Israeli Social Media

“…Vaccines form an important element in the prevention of morbidity and mortality and in the promotion of public health [1,2]. The literature emphasizes the significance of vaccines in improving the quality of life, restricting the distribution of infectious diseases, preventing disabilities, and saving lives [3].…”

“…In March 2020, following the global COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic [13,14]. Israel was among the first countries to start vaccinating against the disease in December 2020 [1,7]. The vaccine was initially given to the elderly population (60 and above) and medical personnel and then gradually to younger age groups.…”

“…The vaccine was initially given to the elderly population (60 and above) and medical personnel and then gradually to younger age groups. By March 2022, 66.5% of the Israeli population have been vaccinated twice, 48.6% have been vaccinated three times, and 8.2% have been vaccinated four times [1]. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH), the vaccination rates among the Jewish population were even higher, with 86% receiving at least one vaccination by February 2021, as opposed to 51% among the Arab population [7].…”

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination: What Can We Expect Now?

“…This new generation of vaccines could also be more easily accepted by the general population than the parenteral vaccines for which the fear of injection remains significant. The determinants of vaccine hesitancy have been analyzed in many studies in different contexts and in various situations in our journal in recent months [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. A deep understanding of these hesitancy determinants and how we can act on them would definitely contribute to increasing vaccination coverage in the general population.…”