Coronavirus: three-quarters of Hong Kong parents unwilling to allow young children to receive Covid-19 vaccine, survey finds
- Society of Hospital Pharmacists survey finds 80 per cent of vaccine-hesitant parents of young children concerned about possible side effects, death
- Parents need to vaccinate children immediately to prevent risk of ‘long Covid’, warns medical professional
The survey was published by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists, which last month interviewed 322 parents of children aged five to 15.
According to the survey findings, released on Sunday, about 76 per cent of respondents with children aged five to 11 said they were unwilling to vaccinate them within the next six months, three times more than the amount of parents with older children.
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Among vaccine-hesitant parents, about 80 per cent with young children said they were most concerned about possible side effects or death after inoculation, compared with 86 per cent who had older children.
In response to the findings, the society urged the government to boost child vaccination rates by opening up more paediatric inoculation centres and offering jabs at schools.
It also suggested providing paid childcare leave and improving communication with parents through the use of infographics to help alleviate any concerns about vaccines.
Vaccine hesitancy was also found in parents who had been inoculated, with about 70 per cent saying they had no plans for their children to receive any jabs.