Parents' Likelihood to Vaccinate Their Children and Themselves Against COVID-19

BackgroundVaccination against COVID-19 will likely involve children in order to mitigate transmission risks in community settings. Successful implementation of COVID-19 immunization in the United States may hinge on factors associated with parents likelihood of immunizing their children and themselves. MethodsWe fielded a national household survey in English and Spanish from June 5-10, 2020 (n=1,008). Parents were asked about their likelihood of immunizing their children and themselves against COVID-19. We fit separate regression models of parents likelihood to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19, using bivariate and multivariable approaches in analyses weighted to be nationally representative. ResultsOverall, 63% of parents (95% CI: 59%, 66%) were likely to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, and 60% (57%, 64%) were likely to get a vaccine themselves. These responses were highly correlated (Pearsons r=0.89). Parent age, sex, marital status, education level, and income were all associated with parents likelihood to vaccinate their children and themselves in bivariate analyses; race/ethnicity was significantly associated with parents likelihood to vaccinate their children. In multivariable analyses, younger parents were significantly less likely than older parents to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19, as were parents with high school or less education compared with parents with bachelors degrees and non-Hispanic White parents compared with Hispanic parents (all p<.05). ConclusionIn this national survey, only approximately 60% of U.S. parents stated that they are likely to vaccinate their children or themselves against COVID-19. Addressing parents hesitancy to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19 will be instrumental to achieving herd immunity in the US.