The predictive role of parental attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability: A multi-country study on the relationship between parental vaccine hesitancy and financial well-being

Abstract

Background and purposeRecent new mutations and increases in transmission of COVID-19 among adolescents and children highlight the importance of identifying which factors influence parental decisions regarding vaccinating their children. The current study aims to explore whether child vulnerability and parents' attitudes toward vaccines mediate the association between perceived financial well-being and vaccine hesitancy among parents.MethodA predictive, cross-sectional, multi-country online questionnaire was administered with a convenience sample of 6,073 parents (Australia, 2,734; Iran, 2,447; China, 523; Turkey, 369). Participants completed the Parent Attitude About Child Vaccines (PACV), the Child Vulnerability Scale (CVS), a Financial Well-being (FWB) measure, and Parental Vaccine Hesitancy (PVH) questionnaire.ResultsThe current study revealed that perceived financial well-being had significant and negative associations with parents' attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability among the Australian sample. Contrary to the Australian findings, results from Chinese participants indicated that financial well-being had significant and positive predictive effects on parent attitudes toward vaccines, child vulnerability, and parental vaccine hesitancy. The results of the Iranian sample revealed that parents' attitudes toward vaccines and child vulnerability significantly and negatively predicted parental vaccine hesitancy.ConclusionThe current study revealed that a parents' perceived financial well-being had a significant and negative relationship with parental attitudes about vaccines and child vulnerability; however, it did not significantly predict parental vaccine hesitancy among Turkish parents as it did for parents in Australia, Iran, and China. Findings of the study have policy implications for how certain countries may tailor their vaccine-related health messages to parents with low financial wellbeing and parents with vulnerable children.

Childhood Vaccine Attitude and Refusal among Turkish Parents

“…Parents who were hesitant about childhood vaccinations had lower positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine than parents who were not hesitant [ 20 ]. Perceived financial well-being had significant and negative associations with parents’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability [ 44 ]. Mistrust of the medical profession and higher disgust sensitivity predict parental vaccine hesitancy [ 45 ].…”

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and associated factors among adolescents and youths: Findings and implications for future vaccination programmes

“…To date over 17,000 children worldwide have died from COVID-19, and in the USA, COVID-19 was the seventh leading cause of death among children aged 5–11 years, and even higher for children aged 12–18 years leading to calls to vaccinate all children above the age of 5 [ 70 , 71 ]. They also remain a key group for herd immunity, and encouraging vaccination in this population will help protect children and the community in the future [ 72 ]. There are also growing concerns about possibly increased mortality in this group in LMICs, enhanced by new variants [ 73 , 74 ].…”

“…Consequently, vaccination against COVID-19 is of increasing importance in this population to protect them from severe disease, including subsequent hospital admission, if contracted [ 68 , 72 , 82 , 83 ]. However, vaccine hesitancy has been reported among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa [ 84 ].…”

Awareness and Practices towards Vaccinating Their Children against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study among Pakistani Parents

“…However, hesitancy towards available vaccines is a major barrier to complete immunization in LMICs [44]. Parental vaccine hesitancy is defined as "delay in accepting or refusing vaccines for their children despite their availability" [45]. Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines have been reported globally, particularly among LMICs, enhanced by misleading and false information spread through social media platforms [46][47][48][49], with vaccine hesitancy in parents hindering vaccination programs among children [45].…”

“…Parental vaccine hesitancy is defined as "delay in accepting or refusing vaccines for their children despite their availability" [45]. Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines have been reported globally, particularly among LMICs, enhanced by misleading and false information spread through social media platforms [46][47][48][49], with vaccine hesitancy in parents hindering vaccination programs among children [45]. This is a concern as low vaccine uptake among children affects their health as well as that of the community [45].…”