Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Parents of Children Aged 5-11 Years in Korea

This was a cross-sectional study using the data collected from a nationwide survey between November and December 2022 to explore factors associated with hesitancy towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination for children. Among 3,011 participants with child aged 5-11 years, 82.5% demonstrated hesitancy towards vaccinating their child. This was more common among mothers (odds ratio 1.84 [95% confidence interval 1.46-2.31]), those residing outside metropolitan area (urban: 2.46 [1.89-3.20]; rural: 2.87 [2.09-3.93]) or with history of COVID-19 diagnosis (2.22 [1.78-2.76]). Parents were also hesitant if their child recently had COVID-19 (3.41 [2.67-4.37]). Conversely, they were less likely to be hesitant if they had three or more children (0.66 [0.46-0.94]) or if their child has underlying medical condition(s) (0.54 [0.41-0.71]). Our findings highlight high prevalence of parental hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination for children, and call for targeted outreach efforts from the stakeholders to facilitate the vaccine uptake in this pediatric population.

Automated summary

This cross-sectional study explored factors associated with hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. The findings showed a high prevalence of parental hesitancy, particularly among mothers, those residing outside metropolitan areas, and those with a history of COVID-19 or with a child who recently had COVID-19. On the other hand, parents with three or more children or with a child with underlying medical conditions were less likely to be hesitant. The study calls for targeted outreach efforts to promote vaccine uptake in this pediatric population.