Israeli parents` views on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations for children: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Parents play the decisive role in children's vaccination. Our study aimed as assessing attitudes of parents toward the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5–18 and to define sources of influence on these attitudes, the barriers and reasons for hesitation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 138 Israeli parents of 5–18 aged children completed a self-administered structured questionnaire. FINDINGS: More than a quarter of parents reported that they did not intend to vaccinate their children. Independent of other demographic characteristics, parents who do not vaccinate their children accordingly to the routine vaccinations have five-fold significant odds not to vaccinate with COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 4.8, 95% CI: 1.8–12.7). Greater social influence was significantly and negatively associated with intentions not to vaccinate a child. Among parents who do not intend to vaccinate their children, the most frequent reasons were fear of possible side effects (92%), vaccine novelty (92%) and lack of belief in its effectiveness (69%). DISCUSSION: This study found that vaccination in the past as part of routine government immunization programs predict a tendency to vaccinate children during the pandemic. Among the factors associated with the intention not to vaccinate, concerns and uncertainty about the necessity of the vaccine, its side effects and reliability have been emphasized. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Cultural-religious adjustments should be applied when implementing interventions aiming to promote vaccination in routines and emergencies. Social influence is important in adopting a positive attitude toward vaccines. Public health professionals should incorporate those parents who have vaccinated their children and have a positive attitude toward vaccination.