Parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: a cross-sectional survey in Italy

ABSTRACT

Background

Understanding parents’ hesitancy against COVID-19 vaccination for their children is useful.

Methods

A self-administered online survey was conducted among 394 parents with at least one child aged 12–18 years in Italy.

Results

The mean perceived risk that their child can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2, measured on a 10-point Likert-type scale, was 7.7 and it was higher if at least one parent/partner cohabitant have had COVID-19, in those who believed that COVID-19 is a serious illness, and in those who had not vaccinated their child. 82.1% respondents were willing to vaccinate their child and this was more likely among those who believed that this vaccine is useful and who did not need additional information. 12.4% were, according to the 5-item Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines Survey (PACV-5) score, high-hesitant toward anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Respondents not graduated, those who did not believe that this vaccination was useful, those who did not get this vaccine, those who did not obtain information from physicians, and those who needed additional information were more likely to be high-hesitant.

Conclusions

Communication and public health interventions must be intensified to enhance the attitude and to help parents in deciding on COVID-19 vaccination of their children.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• Italy
• COVID-19
• parents
• vaccination
• vaccine hesitancy

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the directors of the selected schools for their valuable support and to all individuals who participated in the survey and generously provided their time.

Author contributions

G.D.P. participated in the design of the study, contributed to the data collection, the data analysis, and interpretation; F.L., S.A., A.B. contributed to the data collection, the data analysis, and interpretation; C.P.P. contributed to the data analysis and interpretation; I.F.A., the principal investigator, designed the study, was responsible for the statistical analysis and interpretation, and wrote the article. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers in this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.