Covid-19 in Romania: Survey looks at parental perceptions of children’s vaccination

Close to 60% of the parents of children aged between 5 and 18 would prefer not to vaccinate their kids but have them attend school in person, according to a survey carried out by IRES in a partnership with the platform Edupedu.ro.

The percentage is higher (67%) among the parents of children aged 5 to 11, but lower (50%) in the case of parents of children and teenagers (12 to 18), the survey showed.

While 36% of the parents of children aged 12 to 18 are in favor of vaccination and in-person schooling, only 18% of the parents of children aged 5 to 11 would agree to this option.

The reasons for which eight out of ten parents of children aged 5 to 11 do not wish to vaccinate their kids are similar to those of parents of older children, with the fear of side effects (28%) and the lack of trust in the vaccine (26%) among the most common ones. Ten percent of the parents think the children are too young to get vaccinated, 6% think the vaccine is not needed, 5% say they don’t believe in the virus or in the seriousness of the illness, 3% think they don’t have the required information, 3% that the vaccine is not efficient/ doesn’t offer protection, and another 3% say they do not want or agree with vaccination, the survey found. Another 2% said they had not yet taken a decision on vaccination.

Parents older than 36, those living in urban areas and in the southern part of the country are among the most open to vaccination, according to the survey.

Of the parents of children aged between 5 and 11, 77% were aware of the authorities’ announcement about vaccination becoming available to this age group. Only half (51%) of them talked to their children about getting the Covid-19 vaccine. Women, respondents older than 36, and those living in the southern part of the country said, in higher numbers, that they discussed the topic with their children.

A total of 57% of the parents of children aged 5 to 11 said they would take into account their children’s opinion when deciding on vaccination.

Among the parents of children aged 5 to 11, 14% said they planned on getting their children vaccinated, 6% had not yet taken a decision, and 80% said they would not vaccinate them.

The survey, which looked at the perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of parents of children aged 5 to 18, was carried out as the authorities announced that, starting December, vaccination against Covid-19 would open for children aged 5 to 11. It was carried out between November 18 and November 25, among 897 parents, using the – CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) method. It has an error margin of ± 3.3%.