Most Parents Waiting to Get Their Children Vaccinated Against Covid-19

Covid-19 vaccines could be available to children soon and health leaders are encouraging parents to vaccinate their kids but some are hesitant on doing so according to a recent survey. The questionnaire published today from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that a majority of parents say they won’t be getting their children vaccinated right away. In fact, only 27% said they’ll vaccinate their children against the virus as soon as it becomes available which could be as soon as next week. Earlier this week vaccine advisors with the FDA recommended an emergency use authorization to administer the Pfizer vaccine to kids ages 5 to 11. Pfizer has said it’s vaccine is safe and 90.7% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 cases in younger kids.

Advisors for the CDC will meet next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss if the agency should recommend the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 as well. If they were to make that recommendation, as many as 28 million children would become eligible for the shot. 76% of those who took the survey said that they were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ concerned about long-term side effects and 71% were worried about serious side effects. 66% also said they were worried about the vaccine’s effects on a child’s future fertility. According to the CDC, there is no evidence that shows any of the Covid-19 vaccines cause fertility problems.