A new national study conducted by Texas A&M University found that a majority of parents intend to have their infants and young children vaccinated for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza. In addition, 40% of those surveyed say they intend on having their children vaccinated for COVID-19.
The study, conducted by Dr. Simon F. Haeder at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, asked parents about their intention to get their children vaccinated against what experts are calling the “tripledemic”: COVID-19, influenza and RSV. According to a news release, the online survey was given to 5,035 parents across the United States at the end of September.
Recommended Videos
The results of the survey found that 71% of parents intend on their children getting the RSV vaccine, 63% the influenza vaccine, and 40% the COVID-19 vaccine.
“In this case, parents made the decision because they were concerned about these diseases, they trusted health providers and their children were previously vaccinated,” Haeder said in a news release. “Those who were opposed said they were concerned about vaccine safety and necessity, and believed they lacked information about the vaccines.”
While Haeder said the debate over vaccines and mandates has grown since the pandemic, he added in a news release that the growing concern over mandates existed before the COVID-19 vaccine was released.
“From a public health perspective, vaccine hesitancy has a ripple effect that extends beyond the individuals involved, even though they might tragically become ill or even die from a preventable disease,” Haeder said in the news release. “Low vaccination rates place marginalized communities, such as people living in poverty, and vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, at greater risk for contracting a disease. To prevent a disease outbreak, we need high vaccination rates across the entire population.”
“Now, with the newly developed antibody immunization against RSV, in addition to vaccines against influenza and COVID-19, we have a unique opportunity to avoid illness and death this fall and winter. But vaccine hesitancy—along with the elimination of COVID-19 funding and a belief that the pandemic is behind us—make it likely that the United States will experience an excessive amount of preventable illness from COVID-19, influenza and RSV this fall and winter.”