Parental Sociodemographics Linked to Child MMR Vaccine Uptake

MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Parental sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 vaccination status are associated with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates in the United States, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in the American Journal of Public Health.

Eric Geng Zhou, Ph.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study from July 2023 to April 2024 using a digital health survey to examine the association between parental characteristics and MMR vaccination status of children in the United States. Responses of 19,892 parents of children aged younger than 5 years were analyzed.

The researchers found that MMR vaccination rates were higher for children of parents who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine versus children of unvaccinated parents (80.8 versus 60.9 percent). MMR vaccination rates were lower for children of parents who identified as Republican versus Democrat, for those with Medicaid or Medicare versus private insurance, and for racial/ethnic minority versus White parents. In the Northeast and Midwest United States, MMR vaccination rates were higher.

“Our research highlights the link between parental characteristics and MMR vaccine uptake, showing how pandemic-related hesitancy may affect other routine vaccines,” Zhou said in a statement. “Addressing these disparities, through equitable access and fostering trust and transparency in vaccine safety, is key to protecting children from preventable diseases like measles.”

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