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MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
As scientists worked on COVID-19<\/a> vaccines<\/a>, other researchers were addressing a question: Once shots are available, will parents vaccinate their kids against the new coronavirus?<\/p>\n The answer: Younger parents are much less likely than older ones to plan to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Parents’ willingness to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19<\/a> will be vital to preventing community-wide spread of coronavirus, once a vaccine<\/a> becomes available,” said study lead author Dr. Matthew Davis. He is chair of pediatrics<\/a> at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.<\/p>\n “If COVID-19<\/a> vaccines<\/a> are approved for use in children, vaccinating youth may be integral to reducing the transmission risk of coronavirus in schools and daycares next year on a nationwide basis,” Davis said.<\/p>\n The study found that 52% of parents aged 18 to 35 were likely to have their kids vaccinated against COVID-19<\/a>, compared with 67% of parents aged 36 to 45. Most likely to vaccinate: parents aged 46 and older, at 69%.<\/p>\n Overall, 63% of parents plan to vaccinate their kids and 60% said they, too, will get the shots.<\/p>\n The findings were reported in a research letter published online recently in medRxiv<\/em>, an internet site that distributes unpublished manuscripts about clinical research, medicine and health.<\/p>\n The survey, conducted July 5 to 10 in both English and Spanish, included 1,108 households across the United States. Parents were asked to rate how likely they were to vaccinate their kids.<\/p>\n Parents with a college education were more likely to plan to vaccinate than those with a high school education or less. White parents were less likely to vaccinate than Hispanic parents, the survey showed.<\/p>\n The researchers found no association between a state’s COVID-19<\/a> cases or death rates and parents’ views on vaccination.<\/p>\n Senior study author Dr. Stephen Patrick is director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health<\/a> Policy in Nashville, Tenn. He said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the lives of children and families across the U.S. While a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine<\/a> will likely play an important role in returning families’ lives back to normal, it can only achieve that goal if parents trust its safety for themselves and their children.”<\/p>\n Understanding and addressing parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is essential, Patrick added in a university news release.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> offers COVID-19 vaccine information<\/a>.<\/p>\n SOURCE: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, news release, Nov. 17, 2020<\/p>\n Cara Murez<\/p>\n ![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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