Child and adolescent COVID-19 vaccination: Trends, hesitancy, and strategies for increasing vaccination in the United States
Children and adolescents, especially those with underlying medical conditions, are susceptible to severe COVID-19 infection and outcomes such as hospitalizations or death, symptoms of long COVID-19, or conditions such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Vaccination can mitigate severe infection, yet COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to lag behind most routine vaccination rates for children and adolescents. As of May 10, 2023, only 59.8% of children 11years and under and 72.2% of children 12–17years received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for children and adolescents include perceptions that children and adolescents are at lower risk for COVID-19 and thus vaccination is less necessary, concerns about vaccine safety, and overall shifts in attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic, which may lead to a lower sense of urgency for vaccination. Strategies to increase vaccine uptake and confidence should focus on health systems and providers aimed at strengthening vaccination delivery in routine healthcare settings, reducing missed opportunities for vaccination, and supporting parents with vaccination decision-making. A multifactorial approach involving individuals, communities, healthcare providers, governments, and the private sector is needed to protect children and adolescents from severe consequences of COVID-19 infection.
