Peer-reviewed article
Factors influencing pediatric COVID-19 vaccination uptake: a quantitative investigation in the Philippines.
Lota MM, Acacio-Claro PJ, Vogt F, Roxas E, Abeleda A et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined why some caregivers in the Philippines chose to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 while others did not. Researchers surveyed 546 caregivers of children aged 5-11 years across three regions with low vaccination coverage. Vaccination was more likely when caregivers perceived protection benefits, trusted vaccines, and were aged 30 or older, while non-vaccination was driven by safety concerns and beliefs that children were too young.
Key points
- Only 143 of 546 caregivers (26.2%) had vaccinated at least one child against COVID-19
- Main reasons for vaccination: protection against COVID-19 (93.7%), government mandates (48.3%), and healthcare worker recommendations (19.6%)
- Main reasons for non-vaccination: distrust in vaccine safety (58.5%), perception child was too young (25.3%), and concerns about side effects (35.7%)
- Caregivers aged 30-45 years were three times more likely to vaccinate than those aged 18-29
- High vaccine confidence and perceived need for vaccination were strong enablers of uptake
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causation, only associations. Results are limited to three selected Philippine regions with low vaccination coverage and may not represent national patterns or other contexts.
Abstract
Background COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for the pediatric population in the Philippines in February 2022, after adults, due to both the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19. Despite ongoing vaccination efforts in the Philippines, pediatric COVID-19 vaccination uptake remains low. As such, this study aimed to determine the enablers and barriers of pediatric COVID-19 vaccination uptake amongst children 5-11 years in the Philippines. Methods A cross-sectional survey among 546 caregivers of children aged 5-11 years was conducted onsite in three selected regions in the Philippines with low COVID-19 vaccine coverage between July and October 2023. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with pediatric COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Results Of the respondents, 143 caregivers had at least one child vaccinated against COVID-19, while 395 had none. The most common reasons for vaccination were protection against COVID-19 (93.7%), influence of government-mandated regulations (48.3%), and recommendation of healthcare workers (19.6%). High vaccine confidence (79%), high perceived vaccine benefit (81.1%), and perceived need for vaccination (78.3%) were enablers of vaccination. Among those who did not vaccinate, the most common reasons were distrust in vaccine safety (58.5%), perception that the child was too young (25.3%), and the child not wanting to get vaccinated (18.2%). Caregivers who decided not to vaccinate also had concerns about side effects (35.7%), low perceived need for COVID-19 vaccination (21.5%), and disagreed at requiring vaccinations for schooling (26.3%). Caregiver age [aOR = 3.00; 95% CI 1.65-5.46 for adults 30-45 years vs. aOR = 2.65; 95% CI 1.17-5.5.99 for adults 46-59 years], and perceived need for vaccination (OR = 2.56; 95% CI 1.31-5.03) were associated with pediatric COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the multivariable analysis. These factors were compared to caregivers aged 18-29 and those who responded 'neutral' to the survey, respectively. Conclusions Key factors associated with COVID-19 pediatric vaccination uptake in the Philippines were perceived protection against COVID-19 illness, government mandated regulations and healthcare worker recommendations, while non-vaccination was associated with safety concerns, and children's age and preference to not be vaccinated. Understanding the social and behavioral drivers among caregivers may help policy decision-makers and implementers develop targeted interventions to enhance uptake of COVID-19 and routine childhood vaccines.