Caregivers` Willingness to Accept Expedited Vaccine Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

רננה גלרנטר ⁶ Ran D. Goldman ¹ Shashidhar R. Marneni ² Michelle Seiler ³ Julie C. Brown ⁴ Eileen J. Klein ⁴ Cristina Parra Cotanda ⁵ Tyler D. Yan ¹ Julia Hoeffe ⁷ Adrienne L. Davis ⁸ Mark A. Griffiths ⁹ Jeanine E. Hall ¹⁰ Gianluca Gualco ¹¹ Ahmed Mater ¹² Sergio Manzano ¹³ Graham C. Thompson ¹⁴ Sara Ahmed ¹⁵ Samina Ali ¹⁶ Naoki Shimizu ¹⁷

¹The Pediatric Research in Emergency Therapeutics Program, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute
²Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
³Emergency Department, University Children's Hospital Zurich
⁴Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine
⁵Pediatric Emergency Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona
⁶Pediatric Emergency Unit, Shamir Medical Center
⁷Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Inselspital University Hospital of Bern
⁸Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
⁹Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory School of Medicine,
¹⁰Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine,
¹¹Pediatric Emergency Department, Pediatric Institute of Italian Part of Switzerland
¹²Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Jim Pattison Children's Hospital, University of Saskatchewan
¹³Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Geneva Children's Hospital, Geneva University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva
¹⁴Division of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital and University of Calgary
¹⁵Department of Emergency Medicine, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
¹⁶Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta
¹⁷Department of Pediatrics, St. Marianna University School of Medicine

Background: The uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine among children will be instrumental in limiting the spread of the disease. Some vaccine candidates have gained fast-track status for regulatory approval, with the first Phase 3 trials beginning in July 2020.

Purpose: To investigate predictors associated with global caregivers’ willingness to accept an accelerated regulatory process and intent to vaccinate their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: An international cross-sectional survey or caregivers arriving with their children to 16 pediatric Emergency Departments (ED) across six countries from March 26 to May 31, 2020.

Results: Less than half (43%) of caregivers reported that they are willing to accept less rigorous testing and approval for a new COVID-19 vaccine. Almost two-thirds (65%) of caregivers reported that they intent to vaccinate their child against COVID-19, once a vaccine is available. We identified child and caregiver factors as associated predictors and qualitatively evaluated commonly reported reasons for acceptance and refusal.

Conclusions: The majority of caregivers intend to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and uptake will likely be associated with specific factors such as child and caregiver demographics and vaccination history. Public health strategies need to address barriers to uptake by providing evidence about an upcoming COVID-19 vaccine’s safety and efficacy, highlighting the risks and consequences of infection in children, and educating caregivers on the role of vaccination.