Daily Dose: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Parental Vaccine Hesitancy in the US

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On December 18, 2023, we reported on findings from a longitudinal survey published in Pediatrics that examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines in the US.

The study

The study was based on an ongoing clinical trial, measuring vaccine attitudes of parents of newborns in September 2019, before the onset of the pandemic.

Researchers analyzed data administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which randomly samples birthing parents in Colorado based on birth certificates. All completed surveys from April 1, 2018, to August 31, 2021, were included in the analysis (n=3594). The survey data were weighed based on demographics, including age, race, ethnicity, education, geography, marital status, parity, and Medicaid status.

The survey was based on the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV5) vaccine hesitancy questionnaire, which consists of 5 questions with a 5-point Likert scale of responses. Additionally, COVID-19 time periods were categorized as prepandemic (April 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020), pandemic prevaccine (April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020), or pandemic post vaccine (January 1, 2021, to August 31, 2021).

The findings

Overall, there was a 43.8% survey response rate, with a sample of 3553 respondents representing a weighted population of 205 496 birthing parents in Colorado. In this sample, 21.7% (n = 44 518) of all birthing parents were vaccine hesitant.

No significant difference was seen in the proportion of parents who were vaccine hesitant during the prepandemic period (22%) compared with the pandemic prevaccine (19.4%) and late pandemic (23.3%) time periods, respectively (P=.2).

Furthermore, no significant differences were identified in the odds of overall parental vaccine hesitancy in the pandemic prevaccine period compared with the prepandemic period (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.65-1.04) or in the later pandemic postvaccine period compared with the prepandemic period (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.85-1.34).

However, the researchers observed trends indicating the parents’ trust of vaccines wavered during the pandemic periods, with fewer parents checking “not sure” and moving toward being hesitant or not hesitant about childhood vaccinations. Similarly, more parents were “not sure” about childhood vaccination during the pandemic periods compared with the prepandemic period.

Authors' comment

"In light of these findings, what interventions should be emphasized to improve childhood vaccination uptake following the COVID-19 pandemic? First, it remains important to address ongoing childhood vaccine hesitancy. Despite changes during the pandemic, physicians and other healthcare professionals remain among the most trusted professions in the United States and continue to play a critical role in improving childhood vaccine confidence."

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