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

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.