Parental Influence on Adolescent Covid-19 Vaccination Opinions

Abstract

The heavy politicization of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread Covid-19 vaccine skepticism and presents a major public health challenge. While previous studies have found that vaccine hesitancy for adults is correlated with many factors such as political affiliations, research on adolescent vaccination opinions and formation of their beliefs is comparatively limited. Though most states require parental consent for minor/adolescent vaccination, some areas of the country have begun allowing teenagers to autonomously receive vaccinations. Here, we investigate whether parental opinions of the Covid-19 vaccines have strong influence on teenagers’ views. An anonymous online survey was given to students in 9th through 12th grade classes at Madison West High School in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Data analysis of survey responses showed that parents are the major source of healthcare and vaccination information for adolescents. Additionally, parents/guardians can influence the beliefs of their children when trust and communication are present in the relationship. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the strong influence from parents in the formation of their adolescents’ vaccine opinions and suggest the importance of positive communication in supporting influential interactions between parent and child.