Parental vaccine hesitancy toward routine childhood immunizations and COVID-19 vaccines in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Vaccine-related hesitancy for COVID-19 was significantly higher than that for routine immunizations, with decisional conflict emerging as a primary predictor for both. Fear of COVID-19 was associated with routine immunization-related hesitancy. These findings provide critical insights for future pandemic preparedness and vaccine acceptance strategies, highlighting the importance of strengthening trust between healthcare providers and parents, providing clear and reliable information, and implementing decision support tools.