1975. Trends in the parents’ intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19: A comparative study in Peru

Abstract Background Although COVID-19 vaccination has shown to be clearly beneficial in children and adolescents to reduce hospitalization and potentially transmission, there is still a lot of hesitation among parents due to concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, especially in children under 12 years of age. Methods We conducted a comparative study in Peru to evaluate the trends in parents’ intention to vaccinate their children under 12 years of age against COVID-19, for which an online survey was administered. The survey was distributed through social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and was applied during two periods: 11/25/2021 to 12/06/2022 (Period 1) and 01/16/2022 to 01/24/2022 (Period 2). We also assessed the factors associated with the intention to vaccinate in each period through crude (cPR) and adjusted prevalence rates (aPR). Results During period 1, there were 673 participants (69.7% women). In period 2, we had 1139 respondents (77.7% women). Regarding intention to vaccinate, 83.5% of parents intended to vaccinate their children under 12 years of age during period 1. This percentage was almost the same during period 2 (83.3%). During period 1, the factors associated with a decrease in this intention were to believe that the vaccine was not necessary (aPR 0.65; 95% CI 0.44 – 0.94, p=0.022), that it would not protect (aPR: 0.14; 95% CI 0.03 – 0.63, p=0.011), that it would not be safe (aPR: 0.80; 95% CI 0.70 – 0.92, p=0.001), that it could cause long-term side effects (aPR: 0.92; 95% CI 0.85 – 1.00, p=0.037), and to think it should not be mandatory (aPR: 0.89; 95% CI 0.80-0.99, p=0.038). During period 2, besides the factors identified in period 1, not knowing about COVID-19 infection risk in children (aPR: 0.92; 95% CI 0.85-1.00, p=0.042) was also associated with a decrease in the intention. Living on the highlands or jungle was associated with an increase in the intention in both periods. Conclusion A high rate of intention to vaccinate children under 12 years of age was noted among parents in Peru, which was maintained until the end of January of 2022, right before COVID-19 vaccination started for this age group. There was a perception in some parents that the vaccine might not be necessary or safe, leading to a lower intention to vaccinate their children. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.