SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINES FOR CHILDREN AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH PARENTAL MOTIVATION TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN VACCINATED IN TAIWAN

Abstract Vaccines have been developed for children to prevent them from being contracted by COVID-19; however, parental hesitancy to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 is prevalent. Sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines have been found to influence individuals’ motivation to vaccinate. The aims of this study were to examine parents’ sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines for children and trust of information sources, their demographically related factors, and associations of information sources with parental motivation to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19. In total, 550 parents of children (123 males and 427 females) were completed the research questionnaires. Sources from which parents received the information about child COVID-19 vaccines and parents’ trust of the information were surveyed. Parental motivation to have their children vaccinated was measured using the Parent Version of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale. The associations of sources of information and their trust with parental motivation to have their children vaccinated and associations of parents’ demographics with the sources of information and their trust were examined using multivariate linear regression analysis. Traditional mass media and medical staff in health care settings were the most common sources from which parents received information for child COVID-19 vaccines. Medical staff in health care settings were rated by the parents as the most trustworthy source of information. Receiving information from acquainted people in social media and medical staff in health care settings were significantly associated with parental motivation to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Trust in the information from medical staff in health care settings and coworkers were significantly associated with parental motivation to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Compared with males, females were more likely to receive information from medical staff in health care settings and acquainted people in social media. Parents with a higher education level were more likely to receive information from medical staff in health care settings. Compared with males, females had greater trust in the information received from coworkers. Health professional should take the sources of information and related factors into consideration when develop intervention programs for enhancing parental motivation to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19.