Purpose: Identify variables, including moderating variables, associated with adolescents, young adults, and parents' intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Setting: United States Midwestern academic medical center.
Sample: Adolescents (n = 242); young adults (n = 333); parents (n = 563).
Measures: Associations between predictors-participant characteristics, general vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 and vaccine knowledge, perceptions, and normative beliefs-and intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (outcome) were assessed. To determine variables impacting the strength of the relationship between predictors and outcome, moderators included 2020/2021 influenza vaccine receipt, having experienced discrimination, and primary sources of information for COVID-19.
Analysis: Multivariable logistic regression examined associations, including moderating effects, for adolescents, young adults, parents, and parents for child.
Results: With 20,231 email addresses receiving the survey, 1138 participants were included in the analysis. Intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine was reported by 60.7% adolescents (n = 147), 65.2% young adults (n = 217), and 38.5% parents (n = 217) and 38.2% parents (n = 215) intended to vaccinate their child. Intention was associated with lower general vaccine hesitancy for adolescents (AOR = 1.50), young adults (AOR = 1.39), parents (AOR = 1.18), and parents' intention for their child (AOR = 1.17). Parents citing reputable medical experts as primary source of COVID-19 information positively moderated vaccine perceptions and intention for self (AOR = 8.25) and child (AOR = 6.37).
Conclusion: Clinician training to address vaccine hesitancy may be effective at promoting positive COVID-19 vaccine perceptions.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; SARS-cov-2; adolescent; parents; vaccination hesitancy; young adults.