Trends in adolescent COVID-19 vaccination receipt and parental intent to vaccinate their adolescent children, United States, July to October, 2021
- PMID: 35238263
- PMCID: PMC8903754
- DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2045034
Trends in adolescent COVID-19 vaccination receipt and parental intent to vaccinate their adolescent children, United States, July to October, 2021
Abstract
Introduction: There was a five-fold increase in COVID-19 hospitalization case counts among children and adolescents between June and October 2021. However, polls suggest that adolescent COVID-19 vaccination coverage has plateaued in the United States.
Methods: Using the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, we assessed trends in COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents ages 12-17 years, parents' intention to vaccinate their adolescent children, and their reasons for not intending to vaccinate their children from July to October 2021 using a large, nationally representative survey of U.S. households (n = 59,424). Trends in COVID-19 adolescent vaccination coverage, nationally and by sociodemographic characteristics, factors associated with adolescent vaccination status and parental intent to vaccinate their adolescent children, as well as changes in reasons for non-vaccination were examined using regression models.
Results: Receipt of ≥1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine among adolescents ages 12-17 years increased five percentage points, from 56% (July) to 61% (October), with significant increases across most sociodemographic variables. However, there were no significant changes in parental intention to vaccinate their adolescent children during the same time period. Approximately one-quarter of parents were unsure about or reluctant to vaccinate their children, which remained consistent from July to October. Among those who had not vaccinated their children, lack of trust in the government and vaccines, and the belief that the COVID-19 vaccine is not needed or effective, was higher in October compared to July.
Conclusions: Parental intention to vaccinate their children has remained relatively stable throughout the late summer and early fall of 2021. Encouraging paediatricians to discuss the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, addressing concerns and misinformation, as well as recommending and offering vaccines are important for increasing parental confidence in vaccines as well as vaccination uptake among adolescents.KEY MESSAGEReceipt of ≥1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine among adolescents ages 12-17 years increased five percentage points, from 56% (July) to 61% (October), with significant increases across most sociodemographic variables.Approximately one quarter of parents were unsure about or reluctant to vaccinate their children, which remained consistent from July to October.Encouraging paediatricians to discuss the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, addressing concerns and misinformation, as well as recommending and offering vaccines is important for increasing parental confidence in vaccines as well as vaccination uptake among adolescents.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; adolescents; disparities; vaccine confidence; vaccine hesitancy.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose. None of the authors have financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose. All authors provided the final approval of the version to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at
Figures
Similar articles
-
Disparities in child and adolescent COVID-19 vaccination coverage and parental intent toward vaccinations for their children and adolescents.Ann Med. 2023 Dec;55(1):2232818. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2232818. Ann Med. 2023. PMID: 37449878 Free PMC article.
-
Changes in COVID-19 vaccination receipt and intention to vaccinate by socioeconomic characteristics and geographic area, United States, January 6 - March 29, 2021.Ann Med. 2021 Dec;53(1):1419-1428. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2021.1957998. Ann Med. 2021. PMID: 34482788 Free PMC article.
-
Child and adolescent COVID-19 vaccination status and reasons for non-vaccination by parental vaccination status.Public Health. 2022 Aug;209:82-89. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.06.002. Epub 2022 Jun 13. Public Health. 2022. PMID: 35870290 Free PMC article.
-
Willingness, refusal and influential factors of parents to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Prev Med. 2022 Apr;157:106994. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106994. Epub 2022 Feb 18. Prev Med. 2022. PMID: 35183597 Free PMC article. Review.
-
International estimates of intended uptake and refusal of COVID-19 vaccines: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of large nationally representative samples.Vaccine. 2021 Apr 8;39(15):2024-2034. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.02.005. Epub 2021 Feb 6. Vaccine. 2021. PMID: 33722411 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Parental Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake for Children over 5 Years of Age in Texas.Vaccines (Basel). 2024 May 11;12(5):526. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12050526. Vaccines (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38793777 Free PMC article.
-
Child and adolescent COVID-19 vaccination coverage by educational setting, United States.Public Health. 2024 Apr;229:126-134. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.01.029. Epub 2024 Mar 1. Public Health. 2024. PMID: 38430658
-
COVID-19 vaccination in urban American Indian and Alaska Native children: Parental characteristics, beliefs and attitudes associated with vaccine acceptance.Vaccine X. 2023 Nov 14;15:100406. doi: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100406. eCollection 2023 Dec. Vaccine X. 2023. PMID: 38058791 Free PMC article.
-
COVID-19 vaccine or booster hesitancy among children aged 6 month-5 years, 5-11 years, and 12-17 years in the United States: An analytic cross-sectional study.Prev Med Rep. 2023 Sep 22;36:102436. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102436. eCollection 2023 Dec. Prev Med Rep. 2023. PMID: 37822978 Free PMC article.
-
Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in adolescents: a national cross-sectional study, August 2021-January 2022, England.BMJ Open. 2023 Sep 29;13(9):e071707. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071707. BMJ Open. 2023. PMID: 37775287 Free PMC article.
References
-
- COVID-19 ACIP Vaccine Recommendations . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/vacc-specific/covid-19.html.
-
- AAP , CDC recommend COVID-19 vaccine for ages 12 and older. American Academy of Pediatrics. Available from: https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/05/12/cdc-aap-pfizer-covid-vac....
-
- COVID Data Tracker . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021. Available from: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-....
-
- Nearly Half of Parents of Adolescents Ages 12-17 Say Their Child Got a COVID-19 Vaccine Already; a Third of Parents of Children Ages 5-11 Say Their Child Will Get Vaccinated “Right Away” Once Eligible . KFF. Available from: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/press-release/nearly-half-of-pa....
-
- Southern states lag in teen vaccinations while Northeast surges, a month after FDA clears shots for 12 and up . NBC News. Available from: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/southern-states-lag-teen-vacc....
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical