Survey finds few parents intend to vaccinate their young children against COVID-19

Roughly one month after FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccines for very young children, it does not appear that large numbers of them will actually get vaccinated, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of parents. Most parents said they considered the vaccine a greater risk to their children than COVID-19.

Apprehension among parents of children aged 6 months to 4 years has so far resulted in only 2.8% of eligible children receiving COVID-19 vaccines since June 18 (which is when they became eligible), a separate analysis of federal vaccine data by the foundation revealed.

The latest survey found that 43% of parents with children younger than 5 years old said they would “definitely not” have their children vaccinated; about 27% said they would “wait and see;” and 13% said they would have their children vaccinated “only if required.”

Only 40% of children aged 5 to 11 years have been vaccinated to date. In the new Kaiser survey, 37% of parents of children in that age group said they would “definitely not” have their child vaccinated against COVID-19.

Parents’ primary concerns were about possible adverse effects, the vaccines’ comparative newness, and insufficient research. A majority of parents said they found information regarding the vaccine from the federal government confusing. However, 70% of respondents said they had not discussed the vaccines with a pediatrician yet.