Study finds vaccination hesitancy among parents of children with kidney disease or hypertension

In this study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), over 60% of surveyed parents of children with kidney disease or hypertension reported they were unsure or unwilling to vaccinate their child against COVID-19. The high level of vaccination hesitancy among parents of children at high risk for COVID-19 demonstrates the urgent need for enhanced communication of vaccine information to parents.

Children with kidney disease or hypertension may do worse with COVID-19 infection. There are now effective vaccines to protect children from COVID-19. In this study, researchers want to find out what parents think about COVID-19 vaccines and what influences their thoughts. They surveyed and then interviewed parents of children who had received a kidney transplant, were receiving maintenance dialysis, had chronic kidney disease, or had hypertension. They found that two-thirds of parents were hesitant to vaccinate their children.

Their reasons varied but key issues included the need for information pertinent to their child and consistent message from doctors and other healthcare providers. These findings may inform an effective vaccine campaign to protect children with kidney disease and hypertension.