Health

Survey: A third of parents ready to get younger kids vaccinated

By Kirstin Garriss, CMG Washington News Bureau

WATCH: Some doctors concerned Pfizer vaccine for kids may not make a big difference across the Mid-South WATCH: Some doctors concerned Pfizer vaccine for kids may not make a big difference across the Mid-South

By Kirstin Garriss, CMG Washington News Bureau

WASHINGTON — The White House rolled out new plans Wednesday to vaccinate 28 million kids under 12 once the Pfizer shot is available.

The vaccine would be a lower dose compared to the one given to adults.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey shows about a third of parents nationwide are ready to get their young child vaccinated but others are still hesitant.

This new survey shows a third of parents want to wait and see what happens first before getting kids five to 11 years old vaccinated.

White House details plans to vaccinate 28M children age 5-11

But a quarter of parents said they’re not in favor the vaccine for this age group.

Researchers say the reasons for the hesitancy varied.

Some parents especially those in the Hispanic community said their issue is access to the vaccine and not being able to get time off from work to care for a child after getting the shot.

Researchers say one of the biggest concerns for parents is the limited amount of information about the long-term effects of the vaccine on kids.

“They’re also concerned about potentially serious side effects. You know, these are some of the same concerns that adults had about getting the vaccines themselves. But when it comes to kids and younger kids in particular, I think those concerns are heightened for parents just given you know how little their kids are,” said Liz Hamel, the director of public opinion and survey research at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The survey shows about seven percent of parents would only get their kids vaccinated if the shot was required.

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