Less than a third of U.S. parents said they would allow their child to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to a recent survey.
Nearly 29% of parents of children under the age of 18 said they would get their child vaccinated as soon as the child was eligible, while 32% said they would wait to see how effective and safe the vaccine is first, a survey commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor found, CNN reported.
The remaining parents said either their child would be vaccinated only if it is a school requirement (15%) or definitely not let their child be immunized (19%), the survey found.
CNN reported public health officials saying getting children vaccinated is the key to controlling the coronavirus.
Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst and former Baltimore City health commissioner, said late last month that herd immunity in the U.S. would be “very difficult, if not impossible … unless our children are also vaccinated.”
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is authorized in the U.S. for people 16 and older, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are allowed for those 18 and older. Pfizer is currently seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for ages 12 to 15.
