Poll: Mass. parents poll finds addressing concerns about side effects key to boosting COVID vaccine rates

Survey shows pediatricians play key role in spreading accurate information to parents 

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While Massachusetts has very high pediatric vaccination rates against COVID-19, concerns about side effects of the vaccine are widespread among parents, even among those who have gotten their children vaccinated. More than half of parents are at least somewhat concerned about side effects, both short (58%) and long term (61%) including majorities of many demographic groups. Those most concerned about long term side effects include Black (73%) and Latino parents (72%), Republicans (79%), and those without college degrees. 

Parents perceive vaccines as seen as more potentially risky for younger children than for older children, with 40% saying vaccines are “very risky” or “somewhat risky” for children under 5, compared to 27% who said the same for children aged 12-17. The survey follows the contours of state data, with older children more likely to be fully vaccinated. Parents of younger children are more likely to report their household is mixed vaccination status with more older children vaccinated and more younger children not vaccinated. 

That’s according to a new survey released today which was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group with significant input from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The survey included 1,342 parents of children aged 6 months – 17 years in Massachusetts, including oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian parents. This project is funded by the State of Massachusetts via the Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory Sciences. Major design input was provided by Alan Geller  Senior Lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Pediatricians play a key role in addressing concerns about side effects and further boosting pediatric vaccination rates. Those who had discussed the issue with their pediatrician and gotten enough information to make an informed decision were less likely to express concerns about side effects and more likely to know the vaccine remains free. 

Logistical barriers to COVID vaccines are a less important barrier at this stage, with 90% saying it would be very or somewhat easy to find an appointment close to home. When parents who have not gotten their children vaccinated were asked about reasons why, concerns about side effects came up at the top of the list, while difficulty getting vaccines was least important. 

Though most do not say the pandemic is over, COVID is broadly seen as less dangerous than it used to be, and not an issue of frequent discussion. Less than half of parents see current variants as very or somewhat dangerous. 

Views on the COVID vaccine are part of a broader constellation of opinions and identity factors, including partisanship, education levels, race, and views of other childhood vaccines. Partisanship plays a key role, with Republicans less likely to vaccinate their children and more likely to say the pandemic is over. 

The findings will be used to inform policy leaders and public health officials on challenges to further increasing vaccination rates. 

“Surveys like this bring the voices of parents directly to those who need to hear them,” said Steve Koczela, President of The MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the poll. “This survey shows key reasons why vaccine rates for children have leveled off over time.”

“Despite youth vaccination rates in Massachusetts that are among the highest in the country, these results speak to more uncertainty than expected regarding parent's both short-term and long-term safety concerns of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Alan Geller, Senior Lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Future communication campaigns directed to parents of young children need to better understand these barriers prior to and during mass outreach.”

About The MassINC Polling Group: The MassINC Polling Group is a nonpartisan public opinion research firm serving public, private, and social-sector clients. MPG elevates the public's voice with cutting edge methods and rigorous analysis. Based in Boston, MPG serves a nationwide client base.

About the survey: These results are based on a survey of 1,342 Massachusetts parents of children ages 6 months to 17 years old conducted via live phone interview and text-to-web in English and Spanish from March 11 - 26, 2023. Oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian respondents were obtained to bring the total interview count to at least 200 for each group for the base sample. Results within race and ethnicity were weighted to age, gender, geography, and education level for each group. Groups were then combined and weighted to the population parameters by race for the state as a whole. The credibility interval for this survey is +/- 3.1 percentage points for the entire sample, including the design effect.