Willingness and hesitancy of parents to vaccinate against COVID-19 their children ages 6 months to 4 years with frail conditions in Italy

Abstract

BackgroundIn Italy, on December 2022, COVID-19 vaccination was recommended for children aged 6 months-4 years with frail conditions and for those healthy. The purposes of the survey were to understand parental willingness and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination of children with frail conditions in Italy and related influencing factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was performed among 445 parents with a child aged 6 months-4 years with frail conditions who attended a teaching hospital and a public hospital randomly selected in the city of Naples, Italy.ResultsAlmost one third (29.9%) were willing to vaccinate their frail children against COVID-19, whereas 21.3% were uncertain, and 48.8% did not intend to vaccinate. Parents with a higher level of perception that the vaccine is useful and safe and those who had received information by pediatrician were more likely to be willing to vaccinate their child. The mean Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines (PACV-5) score was 3.4, with 13.5% of parents high-hesitant for the COVID-19 vaccination for their child. Parents with a higher COVID-19 vaccine-related safety concerns, those who have delayed at least one shot of a recommended vaccine for their child, and those who did not have received at least three doses of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to be high-hesitant.ConclusionThe survey findings have important implications for designing interventions to increase willingness and to reduce hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine among parents of frail children aged 6 months-4 years in Italy.

Analysis of the COVID-19 vaccine willingness and hesitancy among parents of healthy children aged 6 months–4 years: a cross-sectional survey in Italy

“…A possible explanation for the very low willingness toward COVID-19 vaccination is the fact that at the moment of this survey, the campaign for children aged 6 months–4 years had not yet started in Italy, and, therefore, parents are looking for more information before exposing their children. Moreover, the value was also lower than the 29.5% observed in the same geographic area among parents of similar-aged children with chronic medical conditions ( 27 ). The reasons cited by the participants who were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination included the protection of their children, trust in vaccinations, and the efficacy of the vaccine.…”

“…Respondents who did not believe that the vaccine was safe were more likely to be highly hesitant. Again, health education and health promotion efforts were needed, involving parents in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to educate them about vaccine safety and efficacy and ultimately improve their acceptance ( 27 , 31 ).…”

A survey on Malaysian’s acceptance and perceptions towards COVID-19 booster dose

“…Healthcare workers' advice to the general population is essential for a higher acceptance rate of COVID-19 booster doses. In a study in Southern Italy, physicians cascaded information pertaining to vaccination to parents, which increased the willingness for COVID-19 vaccination acceptance for their children ( Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023a , Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023b ). Similarly, in another study in Southern Italy, information on vaccination given by physicians to patients who have chronic medical conditions increased the likelihood of the patients in administration of second COVID-19 booster dose ( Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023a , Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023b ).…”

“…In a study in Southern Italy, physicians cascaded information pertaining to vaccination to parents, which increased the willingness for COVID-19 vaccination acceptance for their children ( Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023a , Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023b ). Similarly, in another study in Southern Italy, information on vaccination given by physicians to patients who have chronic medical conditions increased the likelihood of the patients in administration of second COVID-19 booster dose ( Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023a , Miraglia Del Giudice et al, 2023b ). Two consecutive study in China which evaluated more than 2058 respondents also found that healthcare providers’ recommendation had impact on immediate vaccination during the severe pandemic phase ( Wang et al, 2021 ).…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Parents of Children Younger than 12 Years: Experience from a Tertiary Outpatient Clinic

“…Although research has been conducted on parental VH, few studies have examined parental VH in children with CD [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. Regarding parental COVID-19 VH, infection in CD ranges from 26% to 81% [28,31,[36][37][38].…”