Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
TOP FINDINGS
Around 7 in 10 parents intend to get their children vaccinated for COVID-19, 2 in 10 are unsure, and 1 in 10 don’t intend to at all.
Parents who intend to vaccinate their children are more likely to be vaccinated themselves (75%), to have had their children vaccinated with traditional vaccines ( e.g. MMR, flu) (74%), to not know anyone personally who had a serious reaction to the vaccine (76%) and to also have their teenagers vaccinated (84%).
In contrast, parents who do not intend to vaccinate their children are more likely to be younger (aged 18 34: 18%), to be unvaccinated (55%), to know someone personally who had a serious reaction (31%), and to not have their teenagers vaccinated (53%).
Parents who do not intend to have their children vaccinated for COVID-19 are most concerned about the lack of research, the vaccine still being new, and observing potential side effects on their children.
The concerns mentioned above are primary drivers of both hesitancy and complete refusal of parents to vaccinate their children for COVID-19.
Unsure or hesitant parents are less likely to have their children vaccinated because the rest of their family is already vaccinated. This could be explained by a belief that immunity within the family will provide enough protection for the children.
Most parents intend to vaccinate their children so that their children can resume their lives protected from COVID.
An overwhelming majority of parents want to bring their children to public spaces (96%) and feel more comfortable taking their children to school and community based extracurricular activities (93%).
Once the vaccine is approved, around 8 in 10 parents will get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.
These parents are more likely to be older (aged 55 +: 92%), vaccinated (83%) and have teenagers that are also vaccinated (84%). Around 2 in 3 parents are in support of COVID vaccine mandate for children in schools and daycares.
Support for the mandate is mainly driven by parents who intend to get their children vaccinated (85%).
All parents who don’t intend to get the vaccine are against the mandate (100%). 3 in 4 of hesitating or unsure parents are also against the mandate.
If a mandate were to happen, majority of parents (65%) support publicly funded online learning for children who aren’t vaccinated. This support is mostly seen among younger parents compared to older ones.
Around 2 in 3 parents are in support of COVID vaccine mandate for children in schools and daycares.
Support for the mandate is mainly driven by parents who intend to get their children vaccinated (85%).
All parents who don’t intend to get the vaccine are against the mandate (100%). 3 in 4 of hesitating or unsure parents are also against the mandate.
If a mandate were to happen, majority of parents (65%) support publicly funded online learning for children who aren’t vaccinated. This support is mostly seen among younger parents compared to older ones.
METHODOLOGY
The Forum Poll™, conducted by Forum Research, was based on a computer assisted web survey of 1,006 parents in Ontario with at least one child aged 5-11, recruited from the Forum Poll Panel.
The poll was conducted between October 21st October 25th , 2021. The average length of the survey was 5 minutes.
The Forum Poll Panel is a randomly recruited panel of Canadians. Its total sample results are accurate 19 times out of 20 (+/- 3 percentage points), while its subsample results are considered less accurate.
Where appropriate, the data has been statistically weighted by age, region, and other variables to ensure that the sample reflects the actual population according to the latest Census data.
For media inquiries, please contact:
William Schatten
Vice President of Research & Analytics
wschatten@forumresearch.com
416.960.1310
