Demographic, psychological, and experiential correlates of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination intentions in a sample of Canadian families

The COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing for close to a year, with second waves occurring presently and many viewing vaccine uptake as the most likely way to curb successive waves and promote herd immunity. Reaching herd immunity status likely necessitates that children, as well as their parents, receive a vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2. In this exploratory study, we investigated the demographic, experiential, and psychological factors associated with the anticipated likelihood and speed of having children receive a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a sample of 455 Canadian families (858 children; parents’ mean age = 38.2 ± 6.82 years). Using linear mixed-effects and proportional odds logistic regression models, we demonstrated that older parental age, living in the Prairies (relative to Central Canada), more complete child vaccination history, and a greater tendency to prioritise the risks of the disease relative to the risks of side effects (i.e. lower omission bias) were associated with higher likelihoods of intention to vaccinate participants’ children, with trend-level associations with lower perceived danger of the vaccine and higher psychological avoidance of the pandemic. Faster speed of intended vaccination was predicted by a similar constellation of variables with an additional predictor of a child in the family having a COVID-19 related health risk being associated with slower intended speed. Results are discussed concerning public health knowledge mobilisation and the unique Canadian health landscape.