ATLANTA (KNWA/KFTA) — In April, more than half of adolescents and parents of adolescents reported they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released on Friday, July 9.
The report states it is important to communicate the benefits and safety of the vaccine.
“Efforts focusing on clearly communicating to the public the benefits and safety of COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents, particularly by health care professionals, could help increase confidence in adolescent COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination coverage,” the CDC stated.
On May 10, 2021, Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for adolescents from 12 to 15 years of age.
COVID-19 VACCINATION AMONG ADOLESCENTS & PARENTS OF ADOLESCENTS
- April 2021, 52% of unvaccinated adolescents aged 13–17 years reported intent for adolescent COVID-19 vaccination and 56% of parents of unvaccinated adolescents aged 12–17 years reported intent for adolescent COVID-19 vaccination.
- The most common factors that would increase vaccination intent were receiving more information about adolescent COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy.
The MMWR reports that parents of unvaccinated adolescents and unvaccinated adolescents reported feeling most comfortable with vaccination occurring at the adolescent’s usual doctor’s office or clinic, 66.6%, and 76.5%, respectively.
WHO’S NOT QUITE ON BOARD FOR ADOLESCENTS GETTING VACCINATED
The nonprobability-based surveys, done prior to the expanded availability of the vaccine, showed “approximately one half of unvaccinated adolescents and parents of unvaccinated adolescents reported not intending for or being uncertain about whether the adolescent would receive a COVID-19 vaccination,” according to the report. Those with lower vaccine intentions were female parents, lower educational attainment, and residents of Midwest of South Census regions.
As of July 6, approximately 8.3 million adolescents, 12-17 years of age, had received one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the CDC.
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COVID-19 DATA
