Analysis of the COVID-19 vaccine willingness and hesitancy among parents of healthy children aged 6 months-4 years: a cross-sectional survey in Italy

IntroductionIn Italy, since December 2022, the COVID-19 vaccination has been extended to children aged 6 months-4 years with conditions of fragility and to those healthy at the request of the parent. The purposes of the cross-sectional survey were to determine the willingness and hesitancy of the parents/guardians to have their healthy children vaccinated against COVID-19.MethodsThe survey was performed among 389 parents/guardians with a child aged 6 months-4 years randomly selected from seven kindergartens and eight nursery schools in the geographic area of Naples, Italy.ResultsOnly 10.5% were very concerned about the risk of infection, and the mean values regarding the perceived utility and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine were 3.3 and 3.2, respectively. Only 13.7% of participants were willing to consent to vaccinate the selected child against COVID-19, while 20.1% were uncertain and 66.2% did not intend. Parents/guardians of older children, those who received information about the COVID-19 vaccine from physicians or pediatricians, those who believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was useful, and those with lower hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine were more willing to vaccinate their child. The mean Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines (PACV-5) score was 5.6, with 33.1% of respondents who were identified as highly hesitant toward COVID-19 vaccination (score >= 7). Parents/guardians with a lower perceived safety of the COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to be highly hesitant.DiscussionThe findings reveal the need to improve community-based education campaigns and effective promotion of the COVID-19 vaccination to increase willingness and address parental safety concerns.

Automated summary

This cross-sectional survey in Italy reveals that only 10.5% of parents/guardians were very concerned about the risk of COVID-19 infection, and the average ratings for perceived utility and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine were 3.3 and 3.2 respectively. Only 13.7% of participants were willing to vaccinate their healthy children against COVID-19, while 20.1% were uncertain and 66.2% had no intention to do so. Parents/guardians of older children, those who received information from healthcare professionals, those who believed the vaccine to be useful, and those with lower hesitancy were more willing to vaccinate their child. The findings highlight the need for improvement in community-based education campaigns and addressing parental concerns to increase vaccine willingness.