Survey finds that around 70% of US parents are hesitant to give their child the vaccine against Covid. 25% worry about side effects, and 25% feel their child does not need it.

  • 69% of parents don’t plan to – or are unsure if they will – get their child vaccinated. They cite fear about vaccine side effects as the reason.
  • Many parents also reported wanting ‘wait and watch’ to see if the vaccine was safe (32%), or distrust of government (30%). 
  • A quarter of parents stated that they don’t believe the vaccine is necessary for their child. 
  • U.S. regulators widened eligibility for Covid vaccines to children five to eleven years old on Tuesday










The majority of parents who hesitate to get their child immunized against COVID-19 are afraid of side effects.

The Week 39 Household Pulse survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and  published on Wednesday, asked parents of children aged 12 to 17 – who were unsure or definitely did not plan to get their child vaccinated – their reasons for hesitation.

A majority of parents, 69 percent, expressed concern about side-effects. Only one in four parents reported that their children required the shot.

Children between the ages of 12 and 17 were the youngest eligible age group for the vaccine. However, regulators have decided to allow vaccine authorization to children between five and 11 years earlier this week.

Many parents are unsure if their children should be vaccinated. Children are rarely seriously ill and account for less than 0.1 percent in all Covid deaths in America. 

A majority of parents that do not have plans to get their child aged 12 to 17 vaccinated for Covid cite concerns about side effects as the reason why. Around a third are waiting to see if the vaccine is safe, and a quarter are not sure if their children even need the shots

Most parents who don’t have plans to get their child vaccinated against Covid at 12-17 years old cite concerns about side effect as the reason. A third wait to see if the vaccine proves safe and 25% don’t know if their children will need the shots.

Hospitalizations and deaths among children are rare, though officials still want America's youth to get the shot to limit transmission of the virus

Although deaths and hospitalizations among children are rare, officials still want America’s youth to be given the shot to reduce the spread of the virus.

13 million parents surveyed said they were unsure, ‘will not’, or ‘definitely not going to get their child vaccined.

These 13 million respondents were then questioned about why they didn’t plan to have their children jabbed.

Nearly one third of respondents said they would wait to find out if the vaccine is safe for their children.

Around 30% of parents say they don’t trust the government. Only 3 percent say they won’t give their child vaccines.

Many of these parents also belong to the 69 percent who are concerned about side-effects of the jab and the 24 percent who are unsure if their children require the shot. 

Vermont is the most worried state for parents about the side effects from the COVID-19 vaccinations. 100 percent of the 12,000 parents polled reported their concerns.

Delaware was also a leader with 78 per cent of parents stating that they didn’t plan to vaccinate their children due to fear of side effects.

Myocarditis, which is a rare but serious condition that can cause death in children, is the most serious sid effect.

Maine has the highest percentage of parents who have not vaccinated their children and is home to more than half of them.

Covid is less common in children and young people than in adults.

Although deaths and hospitalizations do happen, they are rare and usually occur in children with serious underlying conditions. 

Vermont has the highest percentage of parents who are still waiting to see if the vaccine works at 68 percent.

California is the most trusted state for vaccine-hesitant parents, with 71 percent, followed by Maine with 61 percent. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent data, 56.8% of Americans aged 12-15 years have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and 47.6% have been fully vaccinated.

For those aged 16-17, the numbers are slightly higher with 63 percent having received at most one dose and 54.9 % fully vaccinated.

Over 78 percent of Americans aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccines, while 68 percent have been fully vaccinated. 

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