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Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination in...
Journal article

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination in young children

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination (time to vaccination and vaccination status) among healthy young children participating in primary healthcare.MethodsA cohort study was conducted between November 2021 and September 2022 through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network in Toronto, Canada. Sociodemographic information, child and parent health characteristics, parental vaccine beliefs and child COVID-19 vaccine uptake were collected through parent-reported questionnaires. The primary outcome was time to child COVID-19 vaccination, measured as the time between vaccine availability date and parent-reported child COVID-19 vaccination date. Interval-censored proportional hazard models were used.ResultsA total of 267 children age 0 to 13 years were included. The mean child age was 7.6 years, 52.8% (n = 141) were male, 66.5% (n = 141) had mothers of European ethnicity (with missingness), and 68.2% (n = 182) of the children were vaccinated. All parents of vaccinated children had received the COVID-19 vaccination themselves. The rate of vaccination for children was 2% higher with each one-month increase in child age (adjusted HR = 1.02, 95%CI = 1.01–1.03, p < 0.001). Compared to children whose parents had uncertain beliefs, those whose parents had positive beliefs about the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccination for their children had higher rates of vaccination (adjusted HR = 8.29, 95%CI = 4.25–16.17, p < 0.001; adjusted HR = 5.09, 95%CI = 3.17–8.17, p < 0.001).ConclusionOlder child age, parental COVID-19 vaccination, and positive parental beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination were statistically significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination among healthy young children. Our findings may help to inform policies, practices, and research which aim to strengthen parental vaccine confidence and promote child COVID-19 vaccination.

Authors

Li X; Keown-Stoneman CDG; Anderson LN; Allan K; Fallon BA; Parsons JA; Birken CS; Maguire JL

Journal

Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 115, No. 1, pp. 40–52

Publisher

Springer Nature

Publication Date

February 1, 2024

DOI

10.17269/s41997-023-00817-x

ISSN

0008-4263

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