In May 2021, the Italian government extended the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to 12- to 18-year-old subjects and, starting December 2021, vaccines were also offered to children between 5 and 11 years-old. Despite these efforts, suboptimal vaccination coverages are reported. The purpose of this review is to estimate the proportion of parents/caregivers of children and adolescents expressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Italy. The vaccine hesitation rate among parents of minors was 55.1% (95%CI: 43.8–66.1%). A higher value was evidenced in studies focusing on children (59.9%; 95%CI = 43.7–75.1%) compared to the ones focusing on adolescents (51.3%; 95%CI = 34.5–68.0%). The main reasons for unwillingness were the belief that the vaccine was unsafe or ineffective, fear of adverse events, and considering COVID-19 a non-threatening disease. The implementation of effective communication campaigns and health educational programs on safe pediatric vaccinations is essential to support strategies to bolster vaccination confidence.
COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among Italian parents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Stefanizzi P.;Cuscianna E.;Germinario C. A.;Tafuri S.
2023-01-01
Abstract
In May 2021, the Italian government extended the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to 12- to 18-year-old subjects and, starting December 2021, vaccines were also offered to children between 5 and 11 years-old. Despite these efforts, suboptimal vaccination coverages are reported. The purpose of this review is to estimate the proportion of parents/caregivers of children and adolescents expressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Italy. The vaccine hesitation rate among parents of minors was 55.1% (95%CI: 43.8–66.1%). A higher value was evidenced in studies focusing on children (59.9%; 95%CI = 43.7–75.1%) compared to the ones focusing on adolescents (51.3%; 95%CI = 34.5–68.0%). The main reasons for unwillingness were the belief that the vaccine was unsafe or ineffective, fear of adverse events, and considering COVID-19 a non-threatening disease. The implementation of effective communication campaigns and health educational programs on safe pediatric vaccinations is essential to support strategies to bolster vaccination confidence.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
