Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
Detection of Polyfunctional T Cells in Children Vaccinated with Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine via the Flow Cytometry Technique
Published on: September 23, 2022
[Parental intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19]
Susanne Brandstetter1,2, Maja Pawellek1,2, Merle M Böhmer3,4
1KinderUniKlinik Ostbayern (KUNO), Lehrstuhl für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin der Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Deutschland.
Insights
Parental intention to vaccinate children against COVID-19 was low and declined during the pandemic. Health literacy and perceived competence positively influenced vaccination decisions, while risk group status and perceptions of exaggerated measures lowered intentions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious disease
- Public health
- Vaccinology
Context:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid vaccine development and deployment.
- Vaccination campaigns for children against COVID-19 evolved, with varying approval statuses globally.
- Understanding parental vaccine hesitancy is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose:
- To examine parental intention to vaccinate children aged 1.5-6 years against COVID-19.
- To analyze the evolution of vaccination intention from May 2020 to February 2021.
- To identify key determinants influencing parental decisions regarding pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.
Summary:
- Parental intention to vaccinate children against COVID-19 decreased from 51% in May 2020 to 41% in February 2021.
- Higher health literacy and perceived competence were associated with increased vaccination intention.
- Factors such as belonging to a risk group and perceiving political measures as exaggerated were linked to lower vaccination intention.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the need for targeted communication strategies in future pediatric vaccination campaigns.
- Addressing parental concerns and enhancing health literacy can improve vaccine uptake in children.
- The study provides insights into vaccine hesitancy drivers among parents of young children.
Background:
With the start of the vaccination campaign, a new phase in the management of the coronavirus pandemic has begun. Approval and recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination of children followed gradually; to date (4 October 2022), vaccination for children under five years of age has not been approved in Germany.
Aim Of The Study:
The aim was to investigate how parents' intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 developed from May 2020 to February 2021 (from the first to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic) and to analyse the determinants of the intention to vaccinate.
Methods:
In May 2020, 612 families participating with their children aged 1.5-6 years in the KUNO Kids Health Study completed an online survey (participation rate 51%), and 507 completed the second survey in February 2021. Determinants of the intention to vaccinate were analysed for both time points using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.
Results:
While 51% of parents reported wanting their children vaccinated against COVID-19 in May 2020, this proportion decreased to 41% by February 2021. At least at one of the two time points, health literacy and perceived competence regarding protective measures against the virus were significantly positively associated with higher vaccination intentions, while belonging to a risk group and the perception that the political measures were exaggerated were associated with lower vaccination intentions.
Discussion:
Parents' intention to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 was low and decreased further from the first to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Attitudinal and competence-related determinants were important at both time points and could be targeted in a future vaccination campaign addressing parents of younger children.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:30Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...