Almost Half of Parents Want Their Kids Vaccinated for COVID-19 as Soon as They’re Eligible

Millions of American children under 12 will likely become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks, but that doesn’t mean all parents will be clamoring for the shots. A new Morning Consult survey found that nearly half of them would get their young kids vaccinated as soon as possible.

More on the numbers:

• The survey found that 45 percent of parents with children under 18 said that their kids will be vaccinated as soon as possible once they’re eligible. The findings come as officials prepare to distribute the shots to young children and as states weigh vaccination mandates for students.
• Another 19 percent of parents with minor children said they aren’t sure about getting their kids vaccinated once they’re eligible, while 22 percent said they’ll skip the shots.
• Fathers were more likely than mothers to say their children will get a COVID-19 shot as soon as they’re eligible, 58 percent to 35 percent.
• Republicans, parents earning less than $50,000 annually and those in rural areas were all more likely than parents overall to say their kids won’t get vaccinated when they’re eligible.

Background:

• Federal officials say they’re ready to distribute up to 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine once it’s authorized for children 5 to 11 years old, which could come as soon as early November. That would make another 28 million people eligible for vaccination, on top of those ages 12 and up who are already able to get the shots.
• The trajectory of the vaccine rollout will depend on how willing parents are to get their kids vaccinated — and how aggressive schools are in compelling it. Earlier this month, California became the first state to require COVID-19 vaccination for K-12 students, with the mandates set to take effect as soon as next fall, once the shots gain full regulatory approval.
• Millions of children have already gotten the shots, with federal health data indicating 2 in 3 Americans ages 12 or older are fully vaccinated. That rate increased with age range. Regulators aren’t expected to authorize vaccines for children under 5 until next year.
• An advisory group to the Food and Drug Administration plans to discuss the Pfizer shots for young children on Oct. 26, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s expert panel will meet the following week.

The survey was conducted Oct. 8-11, 2021, among 572 U.S. parents with children under 18 years old, with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.