Five values for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance described by racial and ethnic minoritized caregivers

Persistent racial and ethnic disparities in child COVID-19 vaccination rates in the US suggest that vaccinated racial and ethnic minoritized caregivers have hesitated to vaccinate their children. To address these disparities, we sought to understand perspectives on the COVID-19 vaccine among racial and ethnic minoritized caregivers of school-aged children.

We recruited English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole-speaking caregivers of children ages 5-11 years-old seen for pediatric care at a safety-net hospital. We surveyed caregivers on vaccination status, demographics, and conducted semi-structured interviews regarding vaccine perception. We analyzed interviews using thematic analysis with grounded theory principles.

We interviewed 20 caregivers (62% Non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic). Caregivers had all received at least one vaccine dose and 62% of children were vaccinated against COVID-19. Caregivers discussed five core values used to appraise the COVID-19 vaccine: Safety, Knowledge, Trust, Humanity, and Autonomy. These five core values were used in decision-making about vaccination; ongoing appraisal of the vaccine after their own vaccination; and in consideration of the vaccine for their children.

We conclude that public health campaigns attuned to these core values may be more accepting to families and help to reduce perpetuation of healthcare mistrust and persistent health disparities among racial and ethnic minoritized families.