tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Public Health
. 2022 Jun 29;22(1):1265.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13682-z.
The willingness of parents to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Malaysia
Diana-Leh-Ching Ng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gin-Gin Gan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chee-Shee Chai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nur Adila Bt Anuar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Woweham Sindeh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wei-Jing Chua[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Asri B Said[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Seng-Beng Tan[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: The initiation of a new drug, for instance, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in children could be a source of major concern for parents. This study aims to determine the willingness of parents in Malaysia to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted nationwide in Malaysia from August 29, 2021, to October 17, 2021. Parents with children younger than 12 years were enrolled via the snowball sampling method.
Results: The analysis included data from 3,528 parents (79.5%) of the 4,438 survey responses received. Of these parents, 2,598 (73.6%) were willing, 486 (13.8%) were not willing, and 444 (12.6%) were still hesitant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Single parents (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-3.04; P = 0.001), parents with secondary or lower education (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96; P < 0.001), healthcare workers (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.34-2.26; P < 0.001), parents who had significant contact with COVID-19 (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.09-1.63; P = 0.006), and parents who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR, 15.4; 95% CI, 9.76-24.33; P < 0.001) were found more willing to immunize their children. The common reasons for vaccination given by parents who were willing to immunize their children include protection of children (99.4%), protection of other family members (99.3%), and effectiveness (98.2%). The common reasons against vaccination given by parents who were not willing to immunize their children were uncertainty about the new vaccine (96.1%), concerns about vaccine contents (93.2%), limited vaccine information from physicians (82.3%), and the belief of vaccine was unsafe (79.8%).
Conclusions: In this study, nearly three-quarters of parents were willing to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19. The parents' history of COVID-19 vaccination was the strongest independent predictor of their willingness to vaccinate their children. Therefore, future health education for the COVID-19 vaccine should focus on parents who are prone to vaccine refusal or hesitation, address the common reasons for vaccine refusal, and highlight the vaccine's benefits.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Children; Vaccine acceptance; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccine refusal.
. 2022 Jun 29;22(1):1265.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13682-z.
The willingness of parents to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Malaysia
Diana-Leh-Ching Ng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gin-Gin Gan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Chee-Shee Chai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nur Adila Bt Anuar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Woweham Sindeh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wei-Jing Chua[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Asri B Said[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Seng-Beng Tan[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35768789
- DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13682-z
Abstract
Background: The initiation of a new drug, for instance, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in children could be a source of major concern for parents. This study aims to determine the willingness of parents in Malaysia to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted nationwide in Malaysia from August 29, 2021, to October 17, 2021. Parents with children younger than 12 years were enrolled via the snowball sampling method.
Results: The analysis included data from 3,528 parents (79.5%) of the 4,438 survey responses received. Of these parents, 2,598 (73.6%) were willing, 486 (13.8%) were not willing, and 444 (12.6%) were still hesitant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Single parents (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-3.04; P = 0.001), parents with secondary or lower education (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96; P < 0.001), healthcare workers (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.34-2.26; P < 0.001), parents who had significant contact with COVID-19 (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.09-1.63; P = 0.006), and parents who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR, 15.4; 95% CI, 9.76-24.33; P < 0.001) were found more willing to immunize their children. The common reasons for vaccination given by parents who were willing to immunize their children include protection of children (99.4%), protection of other family members (99.3%), and effectiveness (98.2%). The common reasons against vaccination given by parents who were not willing to immunize their children were uncertainty about the new vaccine (96.1%), concerns about vaccine contents (93.2%), limited vaccine information from physicians (82.3%), and the belief of vaccine was unsafe (79.8%).
Conclusions: In this study, nearly three-quarters of parents were willing to vaccinate their children younger than 12 years against COVID-19. The parents' history of COVID-19 vaccination was the strongest independent predictor of their willingness to vaccinate their children. Therefore, future health education for the COVID-19 vaccine should focus on parents who are prone to vaccine refusal or hesitation, address the common reasons for vaccine refusal, and highlight the vaccine's benefits.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Children; Vaccine acceptance; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccine refusal.