TY - JOUR
T1 - Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated
T2 - findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
AU - Salman, Muhammad
AU - Mallhi, Tauqeer Hussain
AU - Khan, Yusra Habib
AU - Ul Mustafa, Zia
AU - Tanweer, Abiha
AU - Ikram, Muneeba
AU - Hussain, Khalid
AU - Butt, Muhammad Hammad
AU - Ramdas, Nishana
AU - Meyer, Johanna C.
AU - Godman, Brian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2024/12/10
Y1 - 2024/12/10
N2 - Objectives This study examined parental experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) among them to help guide future policy initiatives. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Lahore, the second largest metropolis in Pakistan. Participants This study was conducted among parents residing in Lahore from March to April 2023. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling. Outcome measures Data were collected using a prevalidated questionnaire that consisted of four sections: (1) informed consent, (2) demographic details, (3) COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children aged 5-17 years, parents' experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their unvaccinated children and (4) a modified 5C scale tailored to determine parents' confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility with regard to COVID-19 vaccination. Results This study included 414 parents (median age=37 years; mothers=62%). COVID-19 vaccination rates for children in the age groups 12-17 years and 5-11 years were 72.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Transient adverse events following immunisation were reported by 32.7% of parents. Of parents with unvaccinated children aged 12-17 years, only 35% intended to vaccinate them. The majority of parents were not willing to vaccinate their children below 11 years of age. Parents with a self-reported positive history of COVID-19 disease (OR=2.531, p=0.016), and confident in the vaccine's safety and efficacy (OR=1.968, p=0.010), were more inclined to vaccinate their 5-11 years. In terms of vaccination of children below 5 years, confidence in the vaccine (OR=2.942, p=0.003) and a sense of collective responsibility were positive predictors (OR=2.260, p=0.035), while calculation was identified as a negative predictor of parents' intention to vaccinate their under 5 years (OR=0.421, p=0.018). Conclusion CVH was significantly higher among parents of children aged 5-11 years and children younger than 5 years old. Priority should be given by health authorities to address parental concerns about vaccines and ensure that parents understand the significance of vaccination in protecting their children, to increase vaccination rates. This is because hesitancy towards one specific vaccine can negatively impact hesitancy rates in general.
AB - Objectives This study examined parental experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) among them to help guide future policy initiatives. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Lahore, the second largest metropolis in Pakistan. Participants This study was conducted among parents residing in Lahore from March to April 2023. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling. Outcome measures Data were collected using a prevalidated questionnaire that consisted of four sections: (1) informed consent, (2) demographic details, (3) COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children aged 5-17 years, parents' experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their unvaccinated children and (4) a modified 5C scale tailored to determine parents' confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility with regard to COVID-19 vaccination. Results This study included 414 parents (median age=37 years; mothers=62%). COVID-19 vaccination rates for children in the age groups 12-17 years and 5-11 years were 72.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Transient adverse events following immunisation were reported by 32.7% of parents. Of parents with unvaccinated children aged 12-17 years, only 35% intended to vaccinate them. The majority of parents were not willing to vaccinate their children below 11 years of age. Parents with a self-reported positive history of COVID-19 disease (OR=2.531, p=0.016), and confident in the vaccine's safety and efficacy (OR=1.968, p=0.010), were more inclined to vaccinate their 5-11 years. In terms of vaccination of children below 5 years, confidence in the vaccine (OR=2.942, p=0.003) and a sense of collective responsibility were positive predictors (OR=2.260, p=0.035), while calculation was identified as a negative predictor of parents' intention to vaccinate their under 5 years (OR=0.421, p=0.018). Conclusion CVH was significantly higher among parents of children aged 5-11 years and children younger than 5 years old. Priority should be given by health authorities to address parental concerns about vaccines and ensure that parents understand the significance of vaccination in protecting their children, to increase vaccination rates. This is because hesitancy towards one specific vaccine can negatively impact hesitancy rates in general.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Health
KW - Vaccination
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212245052&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086877
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086877
M3 - Article
C2 - 39658278
AN - SCOPUS:85212245052
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 14
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 12
M1 - e086877
ER -