Attitude and Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine in Parents and Adolescents: A Nationwide Survey

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 164 - 171
• Main Authors: Lee, Hyunju, Choe, Young June, Kim, Shinkyeong, Cho, Hye-Kyung, Choi, Eun Hwa, Lee, Jia, Bae, Hyuna, Choi, Sae-Rom, You, Myoungsoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.08.2022; Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Korea; Original; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; Child; Adolescent; Korea
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.05.018

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are currently authorized for emergency use in adolescents aged 12–17 years; however, there is concern and uncertainty regarding the safety and necessity of COVID-19 vaccination. A survey was carried out to assess the attitudes and acceptance towards vaccination in adolescents. A nationwide web-based survey was conducted among adolescents aged 12–17 years and their parents between June 29 and July 8, 2021 on a platform provided by the Ministry of Education. A total of 341,326 parents and 272,914 adolescents participated in this study. Intention for vaccination was 69.1% for adolescents, and 72.2% of parents reported they would recommend vaccination for their child. Among adolescents, perception of safety (odds ratio [OR] 4.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.95–4.22), effectiveness (OR 2.24, 95% CI 2.17–2.32), and risk-benefit (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.72–1.78) had the highest impact on intention for vaccination. Also, perceived risk (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.12–1.17), severity (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.13) for COVID-19 infection, self-health perception (OR 1.12, 95%, CI 1.10–1.14) and recent vaccination of childhood vaccines (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.19–1.32) were related to intention for COVID-19 vaccination. On the other hand, self-perceived knowledge (OR 0.96, 95% 0.95–0.98) was related to vaccine hesitancy. Gender or school district did not influence intention for COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents. Decisions on COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents should be a shared process between adolescents, parents, and physicians based on updated information on safety and effectiveness.