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What do children aged 12-18 think about COVID-19 vaccines?
Songül Tomar Güneysu1, Okşan Derinöz Güleryüz1, Nazmi Mutlu Karakaş2
1Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Emergency, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Parental vaccination status significantly influences children's COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Vaccine hesitancy in adolescents is often linked to concerns about vaccine side effects.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Vaccinology
- Public Health
Background:
- COVID-19 vaccines are vital for pandemic control.
- Understanding adolescent vaccine acceptance is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess COVID-19 vaccine willingness in children aged 12-18.
- To identify reasons for vaccine acceptance or hesitancy.
- To explore factors influencing vaccination decisions in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 924 children aged 12-18.
- Data collected from participants at Gazi University Pediatric Emergency Department and Child Health and Diseases Polyclinic.
- Study conducted between April 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022.
Main Results:
- 83.1% of children expressed willingness to be vaccinated.
- Factors increasing vaccination probability include older age, urban living, parental/sibling vaccination, and information from health personnel.
- Parental vaccination status and completion of national vaccination programs were key influencers.
Conclusions:
- Parental immunization status is the primary determinant of a child's vaccine willingness.
- Concerns regarding vaccine side effects are the leading cause of vaccine hesitancy among children.
Objectives:
Vaccines are crucial for preventing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and controlling its effects. We aimed to determine the desire of children aged 12-18 to be vaccinated with the current vaccines, the reasons for wanting or not wanting to be vaccinated, where they had learned about the vaccine, how many of the children with a history of chronic disease want to be vaccinated, and which factors affect them.
Methods:
A questionnaire form was completed for children aged 12-18 years who applied to Gazi University Pediatric Emergency Department and the Child Health and Diseases Polyclinic between April 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022.
Results:
A total of 924 children participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 14.64±1.77 years. The willingness to be vaccinated was 83.1%. Being older, living in the city, having a mother, father, or sibling who was vaccinated, information about vaccines obtained from health personnel, a completed national vaccination program, and the presence of a first-degree relative in the healthcare field significantly increased the probability of the child being vaccinated. The most important factors affecting the desire to be vaccinated in children were the vaccination status of the mother, father, or sibling and the completed national vaccination program.
Conclusion:
We found that the immunization status of the parents is the most important factor guiding the child's desire to be vaccinated and that the most common reason for vaccine hesitancy is the side effects of the vaccine.
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