Medical factors associated with caregiver intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19

Thao-Ly T Phan; Paul T Enlow; Michael K Wong; Amanda M Lewis; Anne E Kazak; Jonathan M Miller

doi:10.1016/j.jvacx.2022.100144

Medical factors associated with caregiver intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19

Vaccine X. 2022 Apr:10:100144. doi: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2022.100144. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Authors

Thao-Ly T Phan^{1

2}, Paul T Enlow^{1

2}, Michael K Wong², Amanda M Lewis¹, Anne E Kazak^{1

2}, Jonathan M Miller^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Nemours Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, 1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.
² Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 833 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
³ Nemours Value-Based Services Organization, 1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To describe medical factors that are associated with caregiver intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of families receiving primary care in a mid-Atlantic pediatric healthcare system, linking caregiver-reported data from a survey completed March 19 to April 16, 2021 to comprehensive data from the child's EHR.

Results: 513 families were included (28% Black, 16% Hispanic, 44% public insurance, 21% rural, child age range 0-21 years). 44% of caregivers intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, while 41% were not sure and 15% would not. After adjusting for socio-demographics, the only medical factors that were associated with caregiver COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were caregiver COVID-19 vaccination status at the time of the survey (aOR 3.0 if the caregiver did not receive the vaccine compared to those who did, 95% CI 1.7-5.3) and child seasonal influenza immunization history (aOR 3.3 if the child had not received the influenza vaccine in the 2020-2021 season compared to those who did, 95% CI 2.0-5.4). Other medical factors, including family medical experiences with COVID-19, other child immunization history, child health conditions like obesity and asthma, and family engagement with the healthcare system were not associated with caregiver intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

Conclusions: This study highlights important factors, such as general attitudes towards vaccines and understanding of COVID-19 morbidity risk factors, that healthcare providers should address when having conversations with families about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Keywords: BMI, Body Mass Index; COVID-19; EHR, Electronic Health Record; HPV, Human Papilloma Virus vaccine; Immunization history; MMR, Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine; Pediatrics; RUCA, Rural Urban Commuting Area; Vaccine hesitancy.

Grants and funding

U54 GM104941/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States