In the latest Axios-Ipsos poll, 7 out of 10 respondents said they had either gotten or planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine. But that number plummeted when pollsters asked if they also planned to have their children vaccinated. Almost half, 48%, said they were not likely to have their children under 18 vaccinated when that age group becomes available for inoculation.
According to Axios, many parents, particularly Republicans, don’t want their kids to be first in line to get the pediatric vaccines. While the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index showed that Americans are becoming more confident and optimistic about the pandemic overall, that optimism did not extend to trusting the COVID-19 vaccine for their offspring.
According to the survey, this reluctance could mean that achieving herd immunity in America could now be a long, drawn-out affair. Those surveyed also said they intend to keep wearing face masks and social distancing until the end of the pandemic.
According to The Washington Post, pediatrics professor Sarah Long, of Drexel University, said “It’s unlikely we could get community protection without immunizing children.”
Research shows that White Republican moms are the most reluctant group to vaccinate their kids. Almost half, 46%, of those who identify themselves as Republican or Republican-leaning independents, oppose vaccinations against COVID-19, according to the Post.
Experts say that mothers feel that they can better control the health of their children and are wary of the risks associated with the new vaccines. They would rather limit their children’s exposure to the virus than take a chance on the perceive risk from the inoculations.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey showed that mothers are often the decision makers when it comes to the medical plans and health for their partners and children.
The good news revealed by the Axios-Ipsos survey was that 55% of Americans said they were seeing friends and family recently, a pandemic-era high. A lower level, 45%, reported going out to eat in the last week and 37% said they visited a park or outdoor space.
Surprisingly, only a quarter of employed Americans said they were now working remotely, and almost two-thirds said they have already received stimulus money from the government. Overall, the Axios-Ipsos survey found that Americans are increasingly perceiving their lives as getting back to normal. Just over half, 55%, said they felt that returning to pre-pandemic activities posed a moderate or large risk to their health.
But the reluctance of parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 is still troubling, say experts.
Pollster Chris Jackson, senior vice-president for Ipsos Public Affairs, said that if vaccine hesitancy in parents persists, that could spell “the end of the easy part of the vaccination story,” especially coupled with the fact that 3 in 10 adults continue to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Axios, as more scientific research and data emerges regarding the safety and efficacy of the shots, people may change their minds down the road.
The margin sampling error of the Axios-Ipsos poll is +/-3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for results based on the entire sample of adults, and +/-8.0 percentage points on the sample of parents with children under 18.
Source: Newmax
