COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy Among New York City Parents of Children 5-11 Years

Objectives. To measure vaccine uptake and intentions among New York City (NYC) parents of children aged 5 to 11 years following emergency use authorization. Methods. We conducted a survey of 2506 NYC parents of children aged 5 to 11 years. We used survey weights to generate prevalence estimates of vaccine uptake and intentions. Multivariable Poisson regression models generated adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) of vaccine hesitancy, defined as parents who reported being not very likely or not at all likely to vaccinate their children, or unsure about whether to do so. Results. Overall, 11.9% of NYC parents reported that their child was vaccinated; 51.0% were very or somewhat likely to vaccinate; 8.0% were not sure; 29.1% were not very likely or not at all likely to vaccinate their child. Among vaccine-hesitant parents, 89.9% reported safety concerns and 77.8% had concerns about effectiveness. In multivariable models, more vaccine hesitancy was expressed by non-Hispanic Black parents than by non-Hispanic White parents (APR = 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 1.72) and by parents who were not themselves vaccinated than by parents who were vaccinated (APR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.32, 1.77). Conclusions. In a survey conducted after authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 years, significant hesitancy among parents was observed. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(6):931-936.