Willingness to Vaccinate Children against Influenza after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.
Goldman, Ran D. MD, FRCPC 1; McGregor, Sophie BASc 1; Marneni, Shashidhar R. MD, FAAP 2; Katsuta, Tomohiro MD, PhD 3; Griffiths, Mark A. MD, FAAP, FACEP 4; Hall, Jeanine E. MD 5; Seiler, Michelle MD 6; Klein, Eileen J. MD, MPH 7; Cotanda, Cristina Parra MD 8; Gelernter, Renana MD 9; Hoeffe, Julia MD 10; Davis, Adrienne L. MD, MSc, FRCPC 11; Gualco, Gianluca MD 12; Mater, Ahmed MD, FRCPC, FAAP 13; Manzano, Sergio MD 14; Thompson, Graham C. MD, FRCPC 15; Ahmed, Sara MD 16; Ali, Samina MDCM, FRCPC 17; Brown, Julie C. MDCM 7; andfor the International COVID-19 Parental Attitude Study (COVIPAS) Group; Ahmed, Sarah MD; Ali, Samina MDCM, FRCPC; Brown, Julie C. MD; Craig, Simon MBBS, FACEM, MPE, MPH; Davis, Adrienne L. MD, MSc; Gaucher, Nathalie MD, FRCPC, PhD; Gianluca, Gualco MD; Goldman, Ran MD; Griffiths, Mark MD; Hall, Jeanine E. MD; Hansen, Matt MD, MCR; Hurt, Thomas L. MD, MED; Kelly, Christopher MD; Klein, Eileen J. MD, MPH; Kozer, Eran MD; Marneni, Shashidhar MD; Mater, Ahmed MD, FRCPC, FAAP; Mistry, Rakesh MD, MS; Parra, Cristina PhD; Poonai, Naveen MD, FRCPC; Rao, Arjun MD; Sheridan, David MD, MCR; Shimizu, Naoki MD, PhD; Yue, Esther L. MD
[Article]
Journal of Pediatrics.
228:87-93,93e1-93e2, January 2021.
(Format: HTML, PDF)
Objectives: To determine factors associated with parents who plan to vaccinate their children against influenza next year, especially those who did not vaccinate against influenza last year using a global survey.
Study design: A survey of caregivers accompanying their children aged 1-19 years old in 17 pediatric emergency departments in 6 countries at the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Anonymous online survey included caregiver and child demographic information, vaccination history and future intentions, and concern about the child and caregiver having COVID-19 at the time of emergency department visit.
Results: Of 2422 surveys, 1314 (54.2%) caregivers stated they plan to vaccinate their child against influenza next year, an increase of 15.8% from the previous year. Of 1459 caregivers who did not vaccinate their children last year, 418 (28.6%) plan to do so next year. Factors predicting willingness to change and vaccinate included child's up-to-date vaccination status (aOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.29-3.32, P = .003); caregivers' influenza vaccine history (aOR 3.26, 95% CI 2.41-4.40, P < .010), and level of concern their child had COVID-19 (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.17, P = .022).
Conclusions: Changes in risk perception due to COVID-19, and previous vaccination, may serve to influence decision-making among caregivers regarding influenza vaccination in the coming season. To promote influenza vaccination among children, public health programs can leverage this information.
(C) 2021Elsevier, Inc.