The following is the summary of “Vaccine Attitudes and COVID-19 Vaccine Intention Among Parents of Children With Kidney Disease or Primary Hypertension”published in the January 2023 issue of Kidney diseases by Wang, et al.
It is possible that COVID-19 poses a greater threat to children who already have kidney illness or primary hypertension. Concerns about administering the COVID-19 vaccine were evaluated among parents of children with CKD or hypertension. Design Explanatory sequential mixed-methods study; first a survey, then in-depth interviews. Family members of children under less than 18 years old who have been diagnosed with renal illness or primary hypertension at a big pediatric clinic. The Vaccine Hesitancy Scale was used to analyze the perspectives of parents on the topic of childhood vaccinations and seasonal flu shots specifically. Classification of kidney illness, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, COVID-19 experiences, COVID-19 mitigation activities, self-efficacy, and informational resources about vaccines.
Resulting disposition toward giving a child the COVID-19 vaccine. Reseachers used an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test to examine differences between parents’ opinions on receiving their children vaccinated against COVID-19 and their opinions on receiving their children vaccinated against the flu. Methods for predicting whether or not people will get the COVID-19 vaccine using multinomial logistic regression. Influences on parental attitudes were characterized by a thematic analysis of interview data. About 207 parents (39% of those who were approached) responded to the poll; 75 (36%) were willing to vaccinate their kid against COVID-19, 80 (39%) were unsure, and 52 (25%) were not willing to vaccine. The unwilling group had significantly higher levels of skepticism regarding both routine childhood and influenza vaccinations (P<0.001). Parents with higher levels of education were more likely to vaccinate their children, while parents of African American descent were less likely to do so. Different themes emerged among parents who were willing, doubtful, or unwilling to vaccinate their children, including concerns about the vaccine’s hasty development and the possibility of major, long-term negative effects. Although medical professionals and healthcare teams are reliable resources for vaccine information, there were notable differences in the 3 groups’ beliefs of the benefits and risks of vaccines, as well as their interactions with doctors.
More information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations is needed most among those who are hesitant or opposed to getting vaccinated. Potentially low levels of generalizability exist. Parents of children with kidney illness or hypertension were less likely to vaccinate against COVID-19 than those of children without these conditions (63% vs. 33%). COVID-19 vaccine skepticism was found to be higher among those who also had reservations about getting their kids vaccinated against the flu and other common childhood illnesses. To lessen vaccine reluctance, investigators should look for ways to improve the dissemination of easily understandable information about vaccines that is of particular relevance to people with kidney disease.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027263862200720X