Parental Vaccine Hesitancy and Association With Childhood Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoid, and Acellular Pertussis; Measles, Mumps, and Rubella; Rotavirus; and Combined 7-Series Vaccination

Abstract

Introduction: Parental vaccine hesitancy can be a barrier to routine childhood immunization and contribute to greater risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. This study examines the impact of parental vaccine hesitancy on childhood vaccination rates.Methods: This study assessed the association of parental vaccine hesitancy on child vaccination coverage with ≥4 doses of diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine; ≥1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; up-to-date rotavirus vaccine; and combined 7-vaccine series coverage for a sample of children aged 19−35 months using data from the 2018 and 2019 National Immunization Survey-Child (N=7,645). Adjusted differences in multivariable analyses of vaccination coverage were estimated among vaccine hesitant and nonhesitant parents and population attributable risk fraction of hesitancy on undervaccination, defined as not being up to date for each vaccine.Results: Almost a quarter of parents reported being vaccine hesitant, with the highest proportion of vaccine hesitancy among parents of children who are non-Hispanic Black (37.0%) or Hispanic (30.1%), mothers with a high school education or less (31.9%), and households living below the poverty level (35.6%). Childhood vaccination coverage for all vaccines was lower for children of hesitant than nonhesitant parents, and the population attributable fraction of hesitancy on undervaccination ranged from 15% to 25%, with the highest percentage for ≥1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.Conclusions: Parental vaccine hesitancy may contribute up to 25% of undervaccination among children aged 19−35 months. Implementation of strategies to address parental vaccine hesitancy is needed to improve vaccination coverage for children and minimize their risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Novel Strategies to Inhibit Pertussis Toxin

“…Fast-waning immunity and genetic adaptation also contribute to the increasing pertussis incidence. In addition, parental vaccine hesitancy can contribute to a greater risk for vaccine-preventable diseases including pertussis [ 94 ].…”

Pregnant individuals' information needs and intention to vaccinate their children with routine and COVID‐19 vaccines: Findings from a cross‐sectional survey

“…These findings are consistent with prior research showing lower vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minority groups and younger individuals. 5 Further research is needed to understand the reasons for this gap and to identify opportunities to proactively connect such individuals with credible resources for decision‐making. In the context of COVID‐19 vaccines specifically, vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minority populations were lower compared with Whites in the general population at the time of our study.…”

“… 3 , 4 Non‐adherence of parents to the recommended childhood vaccination schedule for reasons other than vaccine availability is termed parental vaccine hesitancy. 3 In an analysis of data from the 2018 and 2019 US National Immunization Survey, Nguyen et al 5 identified hesitancy towards childhood vaccines in 23.6% of surveyed parents. Other data suggest that COVID‐19 vaccination rates among children younger than 12 years were only 30% as of July 15, 2022.…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptors, Refusers, and the Moveable Middle: A Qualitative Study from Central Texas

“…As such, the goal of any vaccination campaign is to achieve vaccine-induced herd immunity as quickly as possible in order to prevent further transmission of disease [ 1 ]. However, data suggest a level of hesitancy among individuals when determining whether or not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine—a hesitancy that extends from childhood [ 2 ] and adult vaccines [ 3 ] to the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic [ 4 ] and COVID-19 pandemic vaccines [ 5 ]. Research indicates that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy occurs across a heterogeneous group of individuals based on sex, race, ethnicity, and country of origin [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”