US parents are nearly evenly split on whether they will vaccinate their young children when a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for their age group, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. In this June survey of more than 2,000 parents with at least one child aged 3-18, 49% of parents with children aged 3-11 said they would likely get their child vaccinated, whereas 51% said they were unlikely to do so. Among parents of 12- to 18-year-olds, 39% said their child had already received the shot, 21% said their child would likely get it, and 40% said they were unlikely to do so. Of parents with low incomes, 28% said their child is likely to get the shot, compared with 60% of those with higher incomes. Many parents said the recommendation of their child’s healthcare provider will be influential in their de- cision. But 70% of those with 3- to 11-year-olds and half of those with 12- to 18-year-olds said they had not discussed the COVID-19 vaccine with their child’s doctor. Aside from the advice of their child’s healthcare providers, other factors parents of unvaccinated children said would be important in their decision include vaccine side effects (70%), testing in the child’s age group (63%), how well the vaccine works in children (62%), and their own research (56%).
