Adults' Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine for Children in Selected Lower- and Middle-Income Countries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines in adolescents has been granted in the US and Europe.
• Assessing parental willingness to vaccinate children in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is crucial for global vaccine rollout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the willingness of individuals in LMICs to vaccinate children against COVID-19.
• To determine the relationship between vaccine effectiveness levels and vaccination willingness.
• To identify factors influencing the acceptance of pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.

Main Methods:

• An online cross-sectional survey was conducted across several LMICs.
• Data collected included socio-demographics, COVID-19 knowledge, fear levels, and willingness to vaccinate children at varying effectiveness thresholds (50%, 75%, 95%).
• Statistical analysis was performed on data from 6571 participants.

Main Results:

• Willingness to vaccinate children increased significantly with higher vaccine effectiveness: 64.0% at 50%, 72.6% at 75%, and 92.9% at 95% effectiveness.
• Factors positively associated with willingness included higher education (undergraduate), greater worry/fear of COVID-19, increased COVID-19 knowledge, and a stronger belief in the importance of vaccination for protecting others.
• Participants were generally more willing to vaccinate children as perceived vaccine effectiveness increased.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric COVID-19 vaccination willingness in LMICs is strongly influenced by perceived vaccine effectiveness, knowledge, and fear of the virus.
• Higher acceptance rates are achievable with highly effective vaccines.
• Findings can inform targeted health promotion strategies for child COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in LMICs, potentially reducing virus transmission in schools and mitigating negative impacts of school closures on child development.