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Many young children who
have tested positive for COVID-19 have had mild cases, and those
experiences may be shaping some parents’ views about the benefits and
risks of vaccination.
A
narrow majority (53%) of parents with children under 5 eligible for the
vaccine say it poses a greater risk to their child’s health than a
COVID-19 infection. That share rises to two-thirds (67%) among parents
whose young child previously tested positive for COVID-19.
Overall, large
majorities of parents with unvaccinated children in this age range say
they are concerned that their child might experience serious side effects
from the vaccine (81%), that not enough is known about the vaccine’s
long-term effects in children (81%), and that the vaccine will not
protect their child from getting sick from the virus (70%).
Fewer parents say they
are concerned about economic and access issues. This includes more than
four in ten Black parents (44%) who say they are concerned about taking
time off work to get their child vaccinated or care for them if they
experience side effects, and a similar share of Hispanic parents (45%)
who say they are concerned about not being able to get their child the
vaccinated at a place they trust. In addition, about a third of Hispanic
parents also say they are concerned about having to pay out-of-pocket to
get their child vaccinated (36%).
Most parents (70%) of these young children say they haven’t spoken to
their pediatrician or another health care provider about getting the
vaccine for their child, suggesting an opportunity for further education
about its benefits that could boost vaccination rates slowly over time.
Among parents who are open to getting their young child vaccinated, most
(70%) say they will wait until their child’s regular check-up to talk to
their pediatrician while a quarter (27%) say they will make a specific
appointment.
The new Vaccine Monitor also provides updated data on people’s
vaccination status and intentions in other age groups:
- Children
ages 5-11 became eligible for a vaccine in late October. Among
parent of these children, 40% say their child has gotten vaccinated.
A similar share (37%) say they will “definitely not” get their child
a vaccine.
- Among
parents of adolescents ages 12-17, 57% say their child has been
vaccinated, similar to the share reported earlier this year. About a
quarter (28%) say they will definitely not get their adolescent
vaccinated.
- Most
parents of vaccinated children over age 5 say their child has
already gotten or are likely to get a recommended booster dose.
- Three-quarters
(76%) of adults say they have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19
vaccine, a share that has held relatively steady since September.
This includes around half of adults who say they’ve gotten fully
vaccinated and received a COVID-19 booster dose (49%).
- When
those who are vaccinated but have not gotten a booster are asked
about some reasons why, 57% say they feel they have enough
protection from their initial vaccination or a prior infection, 52%
say they just don’t want to get it, and 48% say they don’t think the
boosters are effective, since some vaccinated people are still
getting infected.
Designed
and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF, the Vaccine Monitor
survey was conducted from July 7-17, 2022, online and by telephone among
a nationally representative sample of 1,847 U.S. adults, in English and
in Spanish. The survey included an oversample of 471 parents with a child
under the age of 5. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3
percentage points for the full sample and plus or minus 8 percentage
points for parents with a child under 5. For results based on other
subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.
The KFF
COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project
tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19
vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research,
this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine
development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and
acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well
as the public’s experiences with vaccination.
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