Poll: 49% of Parents of Kids 5-11 Reject COVID Shot for Them

Nov. 24, 2021-- As vaccinations among children ages 5-11 prime up steam, a important fig of parents accidental they bash not privation their kids vaccinated.

In a canvass of WebMD readers, 49% of those responding who person children successful that property radical accidental they bash not privation their sons and daughters to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Nov. 2, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, endorsed an bureau advisory panel’s proposal that children 5-11 beryllium vaccinated with the Pfizer pediatric vaccine. That determination expanded vaccine recommendations to astir 28 cardinal children successful the United States.

Vaccinations among the precocious eligible 5- to 11-year-olds person steadily accrued aft a somewhat dilatory start. At first, the gait was down that of the 12- to 15-years-olds done the archetypal week of eligibility, but it has since closed the gap, based connected information from the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

Altogether, conscionable implicit 3 cardinal children ages 5-11 person received astatine slightest 1 dose, which is 10.7% of that property group’s full population.

The CDC says that the Pfizer vaccine was much than 90% effectual successful preventing COVID-19 corruption successful children 5 to 15 years old, and that the immune effect successful children ages 5-15 equaled the immune effect successful radical 16 to 25 years old.

Among radical wide successful the WebMD poll, 56% said they were assured oregon somewhat assured that the vaccine is harmless for that property group.

Among adolescents and young adults, uncommon cases of myocarditis and pericarditis person been reported. According to the CDC, "[I]n 1 study, the hazard of myocarditis aft the 2nd dose of Pfizer-BioNTech successful the week pursuing vaccination was astir 54 cases per cardinal doses administered to males ages 12-17 years."

Known and imaginable benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks, including the imaginable hazard for myocarditis oregon pericarditis, the CDC says.

Concerns Also Among Doctors, Nurses

A companion canvass of doctors and nurses connected Medscape, WebMD’s sister tract for wellness attraction professionals, besides recovered important hesitation to the children’s vaccines.

Among doctors who person children successful that property group, 30% of respondents said they would not privation their children to beryllium vaccinated; 9% were unsure. For nurses and precocious signifier registered nurses (APRNs), 45% said they did not privation their kids to get the COVID-19 vaccine; 13% were unsure. Among pharmacists, 31% said they would not get them vaccinated and 9% were unsure.

How Safe Is the Vaccine?

Clinicians were asked however assured they were that the vaccine is harmless for that property group, and 66% of physicians, 52% of nurses/APRNs, and 66% of pharmacists said they were somewhat oregon precise confident.

Across clinician types, women edged retired their antheral counterparts connected assurance successful the vaccine's safety: 71% vs. 65% among doctors, 55% vs. 45% among nurses/APRNs, and 68% vs. 60% among pharmacists.

Among some doctors and nurses, younger doctors (under 45) tended to person greater assurance successful the vaccine's safety: 72% vs 64% (doctors), 54% vs 51% (nurses/APRNs), and 71% vs 59% (pharmacists).

The quality successful assurance was wide betwixt vaccinated and unvaccinated doctors. All of the unvaccinated doctors who responded to the canvass said they had nary assurance successful the vaccine for kids. Among unvaccinate