COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents of school-going adolescents in an underprivileged area of Bangalore city

Paul Vincent; Prajwal Simha; Naveen Ramesh; Avita Rose Johnson

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20251715

Authors

Paul Vincent Department of Community Health, St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Prajwal Simha Department of Community Health, St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Naveen Ramesh Department of Community Health, St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Avita Rose Johnson Department of Community Health, St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20251715

Keywords:

Adolescents, Bangalore, COVID-19, Parental attitudes, Socio-economic factors, Vaccine hesitancy

Abstract

Background: Despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge, especially in underprivileged areas. Parents of adolescents are important stakeholders in adolescent vaccination.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2022 in a Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School in Austin Town, Bangalore. The study included parents of adolescent boys aged 10–19 years. A structured, face-validated questionnaire captured socio-demographic details, COVID-19 vaccination status, and parental reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20, with chi-square tests to assess associations.

Results: Out of 100 adolescent boys, 90% were vaccinated. There was no significant association between vaccination status and age, religion, family type, parental occupation, or education. However, higher socioeconomic status was significantly associated with vaccination uptake (p=0.007). Vaccine hesitancy among parents was observed in 10% of respondents, primarily due to concerns about vaccine necessity (80%), side effects (60%), and negative rumours (40%). Fear of adverse effects on growth, intelligence, or fertility also contributed to hesitancy.

Conclusions: The high adolescent vaccination coverage in this study may be attributed to free school-based vaccination programs and mandatory vaccine certification for school attendance. However, vaccine hesitancy among 10% of parents highlights the need for targeted health education campaigns to address misinformation and build vaccine confidence. Strengthening parental awareness through school-based health communication strategies could play a critical role in improving adolescent vaccine acceptance.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19. Accessed 26 March 2025.

UNICEF India. COVID-19 vaccine launch in India. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/india/ stories/covid-19-vaccine-launch-india. Accessed 26 March 2025.

Mehta K, Kaur A, Banerjee P, Gupta P, Thacker N, Saxena V, et al. Healthcare provider perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination for children in India. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2023;7(1):e002165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002165

World Health Organization. Vaccine hesitancy: a growing challenge for immunization programmes. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/18-08-2015-vaccine-hesitancy-a-growing-challenge-for-immunization-programmes. Accessed 26 March 2026.

Chandani S, Jani D, Sahu PK, Kataria U, Suryawanshi S, Khubchandani J, et al. COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in India: State of the nation and priorities for research. Brain, Behav Immunity-Health. 2021;18:100375. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100375

Herman R, McNutt LA, Mehta M, Salmon DA, Bednarczyk RA, Shaw J. Vaccination perspectives among adolescents and their desired role in the decision-making process. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;15(7-8):1752-1759.

Herman R, McNutt LA, Mehta M, Salmon DA, Bednarczyk RA, Shaw J. Vaccination perspectives among adolescents and their desired role in the decision-making process. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;15(7-8):1752-1759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2019.1571891

Alemu D, Diribsa T, Debelew GT. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its associated factors among adolescents. Patient preference and adherence. 2023:1271-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S400972

Arpey NC, Gaglioti AH, Rosenbaum ME. How socioeconomic status affects patient perceptions of health care: A qualitative study. J Prim Care Commu Health. 2017;8(3):169-175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2150131917697439

Purohit N, Chugh Y, Bahuguna P, Prinja S. COVID-19 management: The vaccination drive in India. Health Policy Technol. 2022;11(2):100636. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2022.100636

Deccan Herald. Parents fume after some Karnataka schools make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. Available at: https://www.deccanherald.com/ india/karnataka/parents-fume-after-some-karnataka-schools-make-covid-19-vaccinations-mandatory-1067706.html. Accessed 26 March 2025.

India.com. Karnataka Makes COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate Must For All To Enter Public Places Including Malls, Pubs And Restaurants. Available at: https://www.india.com/karnataka/karnataka-lockdown-latest-news-today-7-january-2022-covid-vaccine-certificate-as-universal-pass-to-enter-public-places-more-curbs-for-travellers-from-other-states-omicron-weekend-curfew-5175497/. Accessed 26 March 2025.

Murthy BP, Zell E, Saelee R, Murthy N, Meng L, Meador S, et al. COVID-19 vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 12-17 years - United States, December 14, 2020-July 31, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(35):1206-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7035e1

Li T, Qi R, Chen B, Luo Y, Zhang W, Zhou YH, et al. COVID-19 vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 12-17 years in three provinces of eastern China: A cross-sectional survey, 2021. Front Public Health. 2022;10:919190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.919190

Caspi G, Dayan A, Eshal Y, Liverant-Taub S, Twig G, Shalit U, et al. Socioeconomic disparities and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance: A nationwide ecologic study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2021;27(10):1502-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2021.05.030

Zhang L, Wang Y, Li D, Chen X, Liu Y, Zhao M, et al. The influence of factors related to public health campaigns on vaccination behavior among the population of the Wuxi region, China. Front Public Health. 2024;12:1498296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498296

Bagateli LE, Saeki EY, Fadda M, Agostoni C, Marchisio P, Milani GP. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents of children and adolescents living in Brazil. Vaccines (Basel). 2021;9(10):1115. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9101115

Nguyen KH, McChesney C, Rodriguez C, Vasudevan L, Bednarczyk RA, Corlin L. Child and adolescent COVID-19 vaccination coverage by educational setting, United States. Public Health. 2024;229:126-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2024.01.029

Lee SK, Sun J, Jang S, Pan Y, Silkes J, Lee Y, et al. Misinformation of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. Sci Rep. 2022;12:13681. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17430-6

Aggarwal S, Singh L, Alam U, Sharma S, Saroj SK, Zaman K, et al. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in India: A primary study based on health behavior theories and 5C psychological antecedents model. PLoS One. 2024;19(5):e0294480. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294480

World Health Organization. Herd immunity, lockdowns and COVID-19. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/herd-immunity-lockdowns-and-covid-19. Accessed 26 March 2025.

Skafle I, Nordahl-Hansen A, Quintana DS, Wynn R, Gabarron E. Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines on social media: rapid review. J Med Internet Res. 2022;24(8):e37367. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/37367