Parental Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination for Children: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Jeddah, Saudi...

​​​​The administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to children depends on parents' decisions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate parental attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines and to assess the reasons behind their attitude and their consequences on the child's social life.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 15^th April and 29^th August 2022, using a questionnaire distributed via social media to parents of healthy children under 18 years old. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP software (JMP Statistical Discovery LLC (part of SAS Institute), Cary, NC).

A total of 562 parents participated in the survey. When asked about the likelihood of vaccinating their children, 181 (32%) answered that it was either unlikely or very unlikely. Regarding the children's social lives, 231 (88.9%) parents who had not vaccinated their children reported that their child was able to attend school regularly, socialize with friends, and travel without any concerns. Furthermore, there was a significant association between parental occupational status and children's reception of the vaccine.  Conclusion: Although the percentage of parents who vaccinated their children was high, more than half of the parents were concerned about the vaccine's safety. More research is needed with a larger sample and a larger geographical area to further understand the attitudes of parents towards their children's vaccination and address their concerns. This can help governments not only in dealing with the public but also the vaccine manufacturing industry in understanding what individuals fear and are skeptical of regarding new vaccines.