Parents’ Acceptance of COVID-19 Compared to Human Papillomavirus Vaccines

PURPOSE: The first vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) for adolescents 16 years and older in the United States received Emergency Use Authorization in December 2020. Soon after its approval, parents expressed concerns about vaccine safety for adolescents. Similar concerns about vaccine safety partially explain suboptimal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake. This qualitative study explores similarities and differences in parents’ attitudes about these two vaccines. METHODS: Parents were recruited through social media and at health centers in Alabama. Semi-structured interviews with parents of adolescents aged 9–17 years were conducted before and after Alabama expanded age eligibility to those 16 and older. Topics included knowledge about HPV and COVID-19 vaccines, and parents’ intentions to have children vaccinated. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: From March 11, 2021 to April 24, 2021, 21 in-depth interviews were conducted. Parents discussed the importance of HPV and COVID-19 vaccines for protecting their children’s health but differences between the two related to community protection. Parents were concerned about vaccine safety but media coverage about the COVID-19 vaccine led to more favorable attitudes about the benefits of vaccination, which was not observed for HPV vaccines. Instead for HPV vaccination, parents wanted their healthcare providers’ opinions about the vaccine before making a vaccination decision. DISCUSSION: Parents had similar concerns about HPV and COVID-19 vaccines. Although provider recommendations can improve vaccine uptake, local news reports were seen to have a positive impact on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in lieu of provider recommendation. Disseminating information online could be beneficial to promote HPV and COVID-19 vaccines.