Poll Finds Many Parents Hesitant to Get Younger Children Vaccinated

FRIDAY, May 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — As U.S. health officials prepare to authorize the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in younger children, a new poll shows that less than a third of parents would get their child vaccinated as soon as the shots are approved.

Only 29 percent of parents of children younger than 18 years said they would get their child vaccinated “right away,” according to data published Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Another 32 percent said they would wait to see how the vaccine is working before getting their child a shot, while the remaining parents said their child would be vaccinated only if their school requires it (15 percent) or they definitely would not be vaccinated (19 percent).

In Thursday’s Kaiser survey, parents’ intentions for their children typically mirrored their intentions for themselves. Among parents who have already received at least one dose or want it as soon as possible, three-fourths said they would get their children vaccinated right away (48 percent) or wait and see (29 percent).

Pfizer and Moderna are already testing their vaccines in children as young as 6 months old and expect to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization covering infants and children later this year. Pfizer expects to submit for emergency use authorization for children ages 2 to 11 years in September.

More Information