Abstract

BackgroundThe availability of a COVID-19 vaccine has been heralded as key to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 vaccination programme success will rely on public willingness to be vaccinated. MethodsWe used a multi-methods approach - involving an online cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews - to investigate parents’ and guardians’ views on the acceptability of a future COVID-19 vaccine. 1252 parents and guardians (aged 16 + years) who reported living in England with a child aged 18 months or under completed the survey. Nineteen survey participants were interviewed. FindingsMost survey participants reported they would likely accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves (Definitely 55.8%; Unsure but leaning towards yes 34.3%) and their child/children (Definitely 48.2%; Unsure but leaning towards yes 40.9%). Less than 4% of survey participants reported that they would definitely not accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Survey participants were more likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves than their child/children. Participants that self-reported as Black, Asian, Chinese, Mixed or Other ethnicity were almost 3 times more likely to reject a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children than White British, White Irish and White Other participants. Survey participants from lower-income households were also more likely to reject a COVID-19 vaccine. In open-text survey responses and interviews, self-protection from COVID-19 was reported as the main reason for vaccine acceptance. Common concerns identified in open-text responses and interviews were around COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, mostly prompted by the newness and rapid development of the vaccine. ConclusionInformation on how COVID-19 vaccines are developed and tested, including their safety and efficacy, must be communicated clearly to the public. To prevent inequalities in uptake, it is crucial to understand and address factors that may affect COVID-19 vaccine acceptability in ethnic minority and lower-income groups who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Highlights

  • Over 33 million confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), including more than 1 million deaths, have been reported globally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to 29th September 2020 [1]

  • We purposefully aimed to interview survey participants who did not complete open text responses and presented characteristics of interest such as underrepresented populations in the survey and/or indicated they would likely refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, for their child or themselves

  • Attitudes towards a COVID-19 vaccine appear more positive in our study than those reported in surveys conducted with adults in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and the US [11,12,13], and comparable to reports from Denmark and Australia [12,14]

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Summary

Introduction

Over 33 million confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), including more than 1 million deaths, have been reported globally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to 29th September 2020 [1]. Findings: Most survey participants reported they would likely accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves (Definitely 55.8%; Unsure but leaning towards yes 34.3%) and their child/children (Definitely 48.2%; Unsure but leaning towards yes 40.9%). Less than 4% of survey participants reported that they would definitely not accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Survey participants were more likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves than their child/children. Participants that self-reported as Black, Asian, Chinese, Mixed or Other ethnicity were almost 3 times more likely to reject a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children than White British, White Irish and White Other participants. In open-text survey responses and interviews, self-protection from COVID-19 was reported as the main reason for vaccine acceptance.

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