COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY FOR CHILDREN IN PARENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN INDIA.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: COVID Vaccine has been recently approved for children less than 18 years in India. Health care providers are consistently cited as the most important resource for vaccine information by ‘Vaccine Hesitant Parents ’VHPs, and provider recommendation for vaccination is crucial for improving vaccine uptake. So the study aims to assess in Healthcare professionals, the Prevalence of parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and their knowledge, attitude, beliefs and perception towards paediatric COVID-19 vaccine. MATERIALS AND METHODS-: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a Snowball Sampling Technique, through a self- designed web-based questionnaire among the Health-care Professionals having children less than 18 years of age across India after taking Ethics Approval. RESULTS: Prevalence of Hesitancy among health care professionals regarding pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is 3.3%. Significant correlation was seen between those who wanted to vaccinate their children and the ones who had taken vaccine themselves (p=0.00). The most important source of information was internet and social media (34.3%). About 90% of the participants were aware about the vaccine and knew about its side effects and contraindications. Majority of the people believed in usefulness of vaccine in preventing infection (p=0.008) and in reducing severity (p= 0.009). 90% of the people understood importance of vaccine and feel it is a need for community at large (p=0.00). DISCUSSION-: There is a reduction in hesitancy for Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine as compared to adult vaccine among HCWs as shown in other studies which shows increased trust and positive attitude and beliefs towards vaccine. CONCLUSION-: The prevalence of Vaccine Hesitancy was found to be 3.3%. Majority of the participants had positive beliefs and attitude towards pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine, thus can contribute towards Acceptance in community at large.