Majorities Of Parents Of Children Between 6 Months and 4 Years Concerned About Long-Term, Serious Side Effects Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Children

Parents’ worries about side effects and about the newness of the vaccines have been evident throughout the COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor when they explain in their own words why they would not get their young child vaccinated for COVID-19 right away. Parents’ concerns about the efficacy of the vaccine and the feeling that the vaccine is not needed have also been apparent in some of the reasons they give for not vaccinating their young child. Notably, more than four in ten (44%) Black parents of unvaccinated children under 5 years old said they were concerned they might need to take time off work to get their child vaccinated or care for them if they experience side effects. Among Hispanic parents of young unvaccinated children, 45% said they were concerned about being able to get the vaccine for their child from a place they trust and about a third (36%) expressed concern that they might have to pay an out-of-pocket cost to get their child the vaccine.

Perceived Lack Of Research, Potential Side Effects, And Safety Concerns Among The Top Reasons Why Parents Said They Won’t Vaccinate Their Young Children

Parents who had not yet vaccinated their eligible children under 5 and did not plan to do so right away when the vaccine was first being recommended to the age group offer many different reasons why they are reluctant to get their child vaccinated. Concerns about the newness of the vaccine and not enough testing or research (19%) emerged as a top reason why parents did not plan to vaccinate their young children as soon as possible. Concerns over side effects (14%) and the overall safety of the vaccines (13%) were also prominent reasons given by parents as to why they did not plan on vaccinating their young child. Some parents (11%) said they did not think their child needed the vaccine or say they were not worried about COVID-19.

Black And Hispanic Parents Were Less Likely Than White Parents To Feel Their Child Was Very Safe From COVID-19 At School

Nearly half of parents with a child in school said they thought their child was “very safe” (44%) from the risk of exposure to COVID-19 when they are at school in April, 2022. An additional 40% thought their child was “somewhat safe”. However, parents who are Black or Hispanic were less likely than White parents to say they felt their child was “very safe” from COVID-19 when they were at school.

Two-Thirds Of Republicans Cite Lack Of Worry Of COVID-19 Infection As Reason For Not Getting Updated Vaccine, Half Of Democrats Say They Have Been Too Busy

Democrats’ top reasons for not getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine suggests there will likely still be additional uptake in this group, while Republicans’ top reasons may indicate more resistance to the latest vaccine. Among those who were previously vaccinated but haven’t gotten the new shot, half of Democrats (49%) say being too busy is a “major” or “minor” reason they haven’t gotten the updated vaccine yet, compared to 22% of Republicans and 35% of independents. On the other hand, two-thirds of Republicans (66%) and more than half of independents (57%) say not being worried about getting COVID is at least a minor reason why they have not gotten the updated vaccine, compared to a third of Democrats (35%).

Compared To 2019, More Adults Said Parents Should Be Able To Decide Not To Vaccinate Their Children For Measles, Mumps, And Rubella In Winter, 2022

Democrats’ top reasons for not getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine suggests there will likely still be additional uptake in this group, while Republicans’ top reasons may indicate more resistance to the latest vaccine. Among those who were previously vaccinated but haven’t gotten the new shot, half of Democrats (49%) say being too busy is a “major” or “minor” reason they haven’t gotten the updated vaccine yet, compared to 22% of Republicans and 35% of independents. On the other hand, two-thirds of Republicans (66%) and more than half of independents (57%) say not being worried about getting COVID is at least a minor reason why they have not gotten the updated vaccine, compared to a third of Democrats (35%).

Trust In Government Sources For COVID-19 Vaccine Information Has Fallen, Particularly Among Republicans

The share who have said they trust President Biden, the FDA, the CDC, and Dr. Fauci to provide reliable information on COVID-19 vaccines has declined since December 2020. Despite some criticism of how the FDA and CDC have handled vaccine rollout and messaging, trust among Democrats has remained high. However, among Republicans, the share who said they trust the FDA fell from a majority (62%) in December, 2020 to about four in ten (43%) in April, 2022.

Similarly, the share of Republicans who said they trust the CDC at least a fair amount fell from a majority in December (57%) to four in ten (41%) in April. The share of Republicans who trust Dr. Fauci for vaccine information fell by roughly half between December 2020 and spring 2022, from 47% to 25%. In addition, trust in President Biden, already low among Republicans in December when he was President-elect, sank even further.

Large Shares of U.S. Adults Have Heard Items Of COVID-19 Misinformation, Though Fewer Say They Are True

KFF’s Health Misinformation Tracking Poll Pilot finds that the most widespread misinformation items included in the survey were related to COVID-19 and vaccines, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths in otherwise healthy people (65% say they have heard or read this) and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children (65%). Across the five COVID-19 and vaccine related misinformation items, adults without a college degree are more likely than college graduates to say these claims are definitely or probably true. Notably, Black adults are at least ten percentage points more likely than White adults to believe some items of vaccine misinformation, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of sudden deaths in otherwise healthy people, and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children.

Seven In Ten Women Who Were Pregnant Or Planning To Believed Or Were Unsure About At Least One Piece Of Misinformation Surrounding Pregnancy And COVID-19 Vaccines

KFF’s Health Misinformation Tracking Poll Pilot finds that the most widespread misinformation items included in the survey were related to COVID-19 and vaccines, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths in otherwise healthy people (65% say they have heard or read this) and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children (65%). Across the five COVID-19 and vaccine related misinformation items, adults without a college degree are more likely than college graduates to say these claims are definitely or probably true. Notably, Black adults are at least ten percentage points more likely than White adults to believe some items of vaccine misinformation, including that the COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of sudden deaths in otherwise healthy people, and that the MMR vaccines have been proven to cause autism in children.

Questions about pregnancy, fertility and the COVID-19 vaccines answered!

OB/GYNs, a nurse and midwife affirm the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and debunk myths about the impact on fertility in 40+ new FAQ videos from THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN. The new videos join the expansive living video library of more than 300 FAQ videos in English and Spanish featuring a diverse group of more than 30 healthcare workers of color produced by KFF under its Greater Than COVID public information response.

Half Of Adults Say They Are Not Taking Precautions Because Of COVID-19 This Fall And Winter

The public is divided on precautions, with half of adults saying they aren’t planning to take any of the precautions asked about in the survey, while the other half report they plan to take at least one precaution this fall and winter. The most common precautions people said they planned to take were avoiding large gatherings (35%) or wearing a mask in crowded places (30%). Smaller shares say they are avoiding travel this fall and winter as a precaution against COVID-19 (25%), avoiding dining indoors at restaurants (19%), or taking a COVID-19 test before visiting with friends or family (18%).

While four in ten (39%) White adults say they will take at least one precaution, majorities of Black adults (72%) and Hispanic adults (68%) report they are planning to take any of the precautions mentioned. Similarly, partisanship and previous vaccine uptake continue to be strong predictors of whether people plan to take precautions to limit the spread of the virus. Two thirds (66%) of Democrats and half (48%) of independents say they plan to take at least one precaution, compared to three in ten (29%) Republicans who say the same. Just over half (53%) of vaccinated adults say they are taking any of the precautions, compared to four in ten (39%) unvaccinated adults.

Six In Ten Adults Said People Should Continue Masking To Avoid COVID-19 Surges, With Splits By Partisanship, Income, Race

In March, 2022, about six in ten adults (59%) said that now that COVID-19 case rates are lower, people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread and avoid another surge in cases, while four in ten said that people should stop wearing masks in most public places so things can go back to normal. There were significant divides not only by partisanship, and vaccination status, but also by race, ethnicity, and income.

Eight-five percent of Democrats said that people should continue to wear masks, as did 57% of independents and 67% of vaccinated adults. Around seven in ten Republicans (69%) said that people should stop wearing masks so that things can return to normal, as did 67% of unvaccinated adults.

While White adults were split (49% said people should stop wearing masks, 49% said they should continue to wear them in some public places), large majorities of Black adults (88%) and Hispanic adults (69%) said that people should continue to wear masks in some public places to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Around two-thirds of those with a household income of less than $40,000 a year (68%) said the same, compared to 55% of those with an income between $40,000-$89,900 and 54% of those with an income of $90,000 or more. This finding that people of color have been more likely to support continued mask wearing may reflect larger shares of Black and Hispanic adults being employed in service industries compared to White adults, putting them at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Black And Hispanic Adults More Likely To Have Experienced Negative Impacts Of The Pandemic

Black and Hispanic adults reported higher levels of financial impacts and worry about illness than their White counterparts when it comes to COVID-19 related issues, reflecting the increased burden the pandemic has placed on people of color over the past two years.

Half Said COVID-19 Pandemic Had A Negative Impact On Their Mental Health, Four In Ten On Physical Health, Financial Situation

The March, 2022 survey found the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on adults and children over the last two years. Whether it comes to their education, work, finances, mental or physical health, many – regardless of race, ethnicity and income – report feeling the negative effects of the pandemic.

The most common negative effects of the pandemic, as reported by parents, were about their children’s education and mental health. Almost two-thirds of parents said that the pandemic has negatively affected their children’s education (63%), with 28% who said it had no effect, and 9% who reported it had a positive effect. Moreover, over half (55%) of parents said the pandemic had a negative impact on their children’s mental health, compared to 36% who said it made no difference, and 9% who said it had a positive effect.

Many Workers, Including Six In Ten Of Those Earning Less Than $40,000, Reported Having To Miss Work During Past Three Months Due To COVID-19 Concerns

Four in ten workers (42%) said they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a COVID-19 related concern or sickness in February, 2022. This includes one in four workers (26%) who said they had to miss work to quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure, one in five who missed work because they tested positive for COVID-19, and one in eight (13%) who missed work because their place of employment was closed or reduced hours due to COVID-19 concerns. Additionally, three in ten parents (28%) said they had to miss work in the three months prior to the survey because they had to stay home with a child who had to quarantine, or their child’s school went virtual due to COVID-19 concerns.

Two-Thirds Of Young Adults Reported Negative Impacts From The COVID-19 Pandemic On Their Mental Health

Younger people also reported disproportionate effects from the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2022, especially when it comes to their mental and physical health. Two-thirds of young adults aged 18-29 (67%) reported that the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to just over half of 30-49 year-olds (54%), and under four in ten 50-64 year-olds (38%) and those over the age of 65 (37%).

Young adults were also more likely to report difficulties with their physical health due to the pandemic, with 53% of those under 30 reporting a negative impact, 47% of those 30-49, 37% of those 50-64, and 28% of those over the age of 65. In addition, larger shares of young adults reported negative effects on their employment situation (36%) compared to older adults, including those ages 50-64 (23%) and those 65 and older (17%).