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One in three parents say they probably won’t get their children vaccinated against the flu this season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new survey showed.
The recent National Child Health Survey released by CS Mott Children’s Hospital revealed that 32 percent of parents say it is “unlikely” that their child will receive the flu vaccine.
In explaining their choice, 42 percent of the parents surveyed say they are concerned about the side effects of the flu vaccine, the hospital said.
Two in five (40 percent) parents said they believe the flu vaccine is not necessary, and 32 percent said they did not believe it would be effective.
About 14 percent of parents said they will not attempt to give their children the vaccine in an effort to avoid healthcare sites amid the ongoing pandemic.
Just under half (49 percent) of parents said they were “very likely” to get their children vaccinated against the flu this year, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep across the United States.
Health experts have issued warnings that the upcoming flu season mixed with the ongoing coronavirus could prove disastrous for public health on many fronts.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has long insisted that giving the flu vaccine this winter could be critical to saving lives in the middle of the pandemic.
Speaking at the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing in June, Mr. Redfield encouraged all Americans to “embrace” vaccination.
“This fall, before the seasonal flu circulation increases, I encourage Americans to be prepared and to embrace flu vaccination with confidence for you and your families in the communities,” he said.
He added: “This act alone will save lives.”
Flu vaccines could help conserve healthcare resources by reducing the number of flu-related hospitalizations and decreasing the need for tests to distinguish flu cases from coronaviruses, the hospital said.
The vaccine can also prevent someone from getting both viruses at the same time.
Redfield said the CDC has purchased an additional two million pediatric flu vaccines for children who are uninsured, ABC News reported.
This includes reducing the number of influenza-related hospitalizations and doctor visits, and decreasing the need for diagnostic tests to distinguish influenza from coronavirus.
The survey was administered in August 2020 to a stratified and randomly selected group of adults, and the results are based on responses from 1,992 parents who had at least one child aged two to 18 years.
