Caregivers’ intentions to COVID-19 vaccination for their children in China: a cross-sectional survey

ABSTRACT

Chinese caregivers’ intentions to allow their children to be vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown. We explored the intention rate of Chinese caregivers to allow their children to be vaccinated and examined potential influencing factors and underlying reasons for their unwillingness or hesitation. From November 30, 2020, to January 31, 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3703 caregivers in six representative provinces in China. We assessed intention rates and correlates of caregivers’ intentions to vaccinate children against COVID-19, using descriptive analyses and a multiple logistic regression analysis, respectively. In the study sample, about 84.0% of caregivers intended to get their children vaccinated for COVID-19 if the vaccine was available. In particular, 92.2% of caregivers who were willing to be vaccinated themselves for COVID-19 intended to have their children vaccinated, yet among caregivers who were unwilling (or uncertain) whether to be vaccinated, only 41.1% intended to have their children vaccinated. Older age, lower education level, and perceived safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine were associated with increased odds of caregivers intending to have their children vaccinated. Of the six provinces included in the study, residence in a province other than Hubei increased the likelihood that caregivers would choose not to have their children vaccinated. We found a relatively high vaccination rate (84.0%) among caregivers by using a cross-sectional sample in China. Concerted efforts are needed to address caregivers’ concerns about vaccine safety, especially among caregivers who do not intend to be vaccinated themselves.

Plain Language Summary

Recently, COVID-19 infection in children has increased. Although most countries have not approved the COVID-19 vaccine for children, it is likely that they will do so. There is a clear need to explore caregivers’ intentions and to understand potential hesitancy as means to inform vaccination policies. We found a relatively high caregivers’ intention rate to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19, and caregivers’ intentions to be vaccinated themselves was associated with their own decision to have their children vaccinated. In this study, older age, lower education level, belief that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective, and residence in Hubei province were associated with increased odds of caregivers intending to have their children vaccinated. Policy makers should address caregivers’ concerns about vaccine safety and encourage caregivers themselves to get vaccinated before they decide to have their children vaccinated.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 vaccines
• caregivers’ intentions
• child immunization
• vaccine hesitancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website at https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.1985355

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.