Less than one-in-five American parents want to vaccinate their children under age five against COVID-19 as soon as the shot becomes available, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll.
A greater share of parents, 27%, said they will “definitely not” get their young child vaccinated than the share who said they were “eager” to do so right away, which was 18%, the poll published Wednesday found. 38% said they will wait and see how the vaccine works for others to decide, and 11% said they will only do so if it is required.
The poll surveyed 1,889 American adults via telephone between April 13-26. The margin of error was three points.
Pfizer anticipates that it will submit data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late May or early June on its vaccine for kids under five, meaning the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could authorize and recommend the shot by the summer. Moderna announced April 28 that it had submitted a request for authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine for kids between six months and six year old. (RELATED: Corporate Media Goes Into Full Panic Mode After Travel Mask Mandate Ends)
Over half of parents with children under five told KFF they do not have enough information about the vaccines for young children. The FDA decided earlier this year to hold off on authorizing a shot for kids under five, prompting backlash on social media and from some commentators who seemed particularly eager to get kids vaccinated. However, the KFF poll suggests that the vast majority of Americans do not share the views of the loudest voices in protest on Twitter.
Kids under five still have no vaccine.
Pfizer’s was delayed in a confusing turnabout, and FDA may delay Moderna authorization because… some baffling theory about simultaneous release?
My piece on why this makes no sociological or immunological sense.https://t.co/Dru7vK1gkm pic.twitter.com/4yM8nplt3Y
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) April 27, 2022
Children who are eligible to be vaccinated are less likely to be than adults, according to the CDC, with about 43% of eligible minors fully vaccinated. Children are also the least likely age group to face serious consequences from a COVID-19 infection. The majority of American kids have already been infected with the virus, according to the CDC.