Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future

Objectives This study examined parental experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) among them to help guide future policy initiatives.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Lahore, the second largest metropolis in Pakistan.Participants This study...

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Main Authors: Brian Godman, Yusra Habib Khan, Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi, Muhammad Salman, Khalid Hussain, Zia Ul Mustafa, Abiha Tanweer, Muneeba Ikram, Muhammad Hammad Butt, Nishana Ramdas, Johanna C Meyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/12/e086877.full
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author Brian Godman
Yusra Habib Khan
Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
Muhammad Salman
Khalid Hussain
Zia Ul Mustafa
Abiha Tanweer
Muneeba Ikram
Muhammad Hammad Butt
Nishana Ramdas
Johanna C Meyer
author_facet Brian Godman
Yusra Habib Khan
Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
Muhammad Salman
Khalid Hussain
Zia Ul Mustafa
Abiha Tanweer
Muneeba Ikram
Muhammad Hammad Butt
Nishana Ramdas
Johanna C Meyer
author_sort Brian Godman
collection DOAJ
description Objectives This study examined parental experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) among them to help guide future policy initiatives.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Lahore, the second largest metropolis in Pakistan.Participants This study was conducted among parents residing in Lahore from March to April 2023. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling.Outcome measures Data were collected using a prevalidated questionnaire that consisted of four sections: (1) informed consent, (2) demographic details, (3) COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children aged 5–17 years, parents’ experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their unvaccinated children and (4) a modified 5C scale tailored to determine parents’ confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility with regard to COVID-19 vaccination.Results This study included 414 parents (median age=37 years; mothers=62%). COVID-19 vaccination rates for children in the age groups 12–17 years and 5–11 years were 72.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Transient adverse events following immunisation were reported by 32.7% of parents. Of parents with unvaccinated children aged 12–17 years, only 35% intended to vaccinate them. The majority of parents were not willing to vaccinate their children below 11 years of age. Parents with a self-reported positive history of COVID-19 disease (OR=2.531, p=0.016), and confident in the vaccine’s safety and efficacy (OR=1.968, p=0.010), were more inclined to vaccinate their 5–11 years. In terms of vaccination of children below 5 years, confidence in the vaccine (OR=2.942, p=0.003) and a sense of collective responsibility were positive predictors (OR=2.260, p=0.035), while calculation was identified as a negative predictor of parents’ intention to vaccinate their under 5 years (OR=0.421, p=0.018).Conclusion CVH was significantly higher among parents of children aged 5–11 years and children younger than 5 years old. Priority should be given by health authorities to address parental concerns about vaccines and ensure that parents understand the significance of vaccination in protecting their children, to increase vaccination rates. This is because hesitancy towards one specific vaccine can negatively impact hesitancy rates in general.
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spelling doaj-art-77f8356b5c8b4296a47bad13de04d8a72025-08-20T02:49:39ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552024-12-01141210.1136/bmjopen-2024-086877Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the futureBrian Godman0Yusra Habib Khan1Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi2Muhammad Salman3Khalid Hussain4Zia Ul Mustafa5Abiha Tanweer6Muneeba Ikram7Muhammad Hammad Butt8Nishana Ramdas9Johanna C Meyer1010 Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK2 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia2 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia1 Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan6 Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan4 Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Malaysia1 Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan1 Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan7 Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden8 Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa8 Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South AfricaObjectives This study examined parental experiences with COVID-19 vaccination and factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) among them to help guide future policy initiatives.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Lahore, the second largest metropolis in Pakistan.Participants This study was conducted among parents residing in Lahore from March to April 2023. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling.Outcome measures Data were collected using a prevalidated questionnaire that consisted of four sections: (1) informed consent, (2) demographic details, (3) COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children aged 5–17 years, parents’ experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccination and their intention to vaccinate their unvaccinated children and (4) a modified 5C scale tailored to determine parents’ confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation and collective responsibility with regard to COVID-19 vaccination.Results This study included 414 parents (median age=37 years; mothers=62%). COVID-19 vaccination rates for children in the age groups 12–17 years and 5–11 years were 72.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Transient adverse events following immunisation were reported by 32.7% of parents. Of parents with unvaccinated children aged 12–17 years, only 35% intended to vaccinate them. The majority of parents were not willing to vaccinate their children below 11 years of age. Parents with a self-reported positive history of COVID-19 disease (OR=2.531, p=0.016), and confident in the vaccine’s safety and efficacy (OR=1.968, p=0.010), were more inclined to vaccinate their 5–11 years. In terms of vaccination of children below 5 years, confidence in the vaccine (OR=2.942, p=0.003) and a sense of collective responsibility were positive predictors (OR=2.260, p=0.035), while calculation was identified as a negative predictor of parents’ intention to vaccinate their under 5 years (OR=0.421, p=0.018).Conclusion CVH was significantly higher among parents of children aged 5–11 years and children younger than 5 years old. Priority should be given by health authorities to address parental concerns about vaccines and ensure that parents understand the significance of vaccination in protecting their children, to increase vaccination rates. This is because hesitancy towards one specific vaccine can negatively impact hesitancy rates in general.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/12/e086877.full
spellingShingle Brian Godman
Yusra Habib Khan
Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
Muhammad Salman
Khalid Hussain
Zia Ul Mustafa
Abiha Tanweer
Muneeba Ikram
Muhammad Hammad Butt
Nishana Ramdas
Johanna C Meyer
Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
BMJ Open
title Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
title_full Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
title_fullStr Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
title_full_unstemmed Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
title_short Parental experience with childhood COVID-19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated: findings of a cross-sectional analysis from Pakistan and implications for the future
title_sort parental experience with childhood covid 19 vaccines and factors associated with parental hesitancy despite being vaccinated findings of a cross sectional analysis from pakistan and implications for the future
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/12/e086877.full
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