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. 2023 Oct 23;152(5):e2023062466. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-062466

TABLE 4.

Themes Regarding Personal Choice and Vaccine Decision-Making by Inclusion Group

Themes Blacka Rural and Urban Spanish-Speakingb Rural and Urban NHW Rural
Mandates and parent/caregiver choice
“…[P]arents should have the right and ableness to be able to advocate for their kids, regardless of any government or political stance…” NHW rural participant

  • Mandate would not influence decision

  • Others are not concerned for child like the child’s parent

  • Vaccination should be the parents’/caregivers’ decision

  • Wanted others to support parent’s/caregiver’s decision

  • Government stance would not influence decision

  • Wants transparency in vaccine education
Decision influences
“[What I don’t want, she understands, is for her to get sick. Rather, I want to protect her […] but I know me and my daughter are very different, and that’s what I am afraid of.]” Spanish-speaking participant

  • Potential effect of vaccination on a preexisting medical condition

  • Child’s opinion

  • Fear of side effects

  • Benefits of vaccination (ie, ability to attend school)

  • COVID-19 deaths and spread in their region

  • Child’s difficulty wearing masks

  • Previous experience with vaccines

  • Manufacturer

  • Vaccine given by a professional at a known, trusted clinic

  • Vaccine ingredients

  • Pain of injection

  • Vaccine ingredients

  • Wants to wait and see

  • Decisions driven by fear

  • Desire for self-protection

  • Desire to wait for vaccine to receive full FDA approval

  • Thinks more research is needed

  • Personal medical history

  • Fear of long-term vaccination effects

  • Fear of vaccine side effects

  • Fear of long-term vaccination effects

  • Doctor’s advice

  • Perceived too many unknowns

  • Concern that vaccination will limit future career options

  • Research findings

  • Missing school because of the side effects

  • Manufacturer

  • Concerns about too many regulation changes

  • Perceived risk of COVID-19 disease

  • Personal medical history

  • Dislike of new vaccines

FDA, US Food and Drug Administration.

a

Includes both Hispanic and non-Hispanic persons.

b

Includes any race/ethnicity that identified Spanish as their preferred language.