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Hoosier children continue having low vaccination rates

By Sara Molina

Posted January 18, 2023

kidsvax

(Indiana Department of Health Facebook)

Hoosier children are being vaccinated at a significantly lower rate than adults, according to a report from former IU sociologist Jessica Calarco.

Read more: Indiana lagging in children's vaccinations

The report is part of a larger study Calarco has been conducting since the beginning of the pandemic. The current report, “Parents’ Perspectives on Children and COVID-19”, compares Indiana parents to parents nationally.

“Most parents, especially white parents and parents with children without pre-existing conditions, younger parents, tended to kind of not see this as a big threat,” said Calarco, who now teaches at the University of Wisconsin.

While the report was conducted earlier in 2022, near the peak of the Omicron wave, Calarco said the findings are even more relevant today.

“As the pandemic has progressed, and especially as the sort of public response has died down,” she said. “We've sort of seen more and more families pushing in the direction of taking fewer steps to keep themselves and their kids safe.”

While Hoosiers are choosing not to vaccinate their children for many reasons, the report listed three prominent ones.

“One key factor was this early messaging that discouraged parents from sort of seeing COVID as a serious threat to their families,” Calarco said. “I think another key piece here was sort of the misinformation around vaccines.”

Not vaccinating continues because parents perceive it as unnecessary.

“Another key piece here has to do with parents disengaging from information,” Calarco said. “Parents, especially parents whose kids aren't vaccinated, reported that they've actually decreased their engagement with news media over the course of the pandemic.”

Calarco said this is known as “confirmation bias,” when someone has the idea that everything is fine, so they avoid information that could persuade them otherwise.

Even with disinformation, lack of concern and confirmation bias, the report found that most parents would vaccinate their children if it were mandatory.

“We found that more than 40% of those who didn't have their kids vaccinated at the time and weren't planning to said, ‘You know, if this was required for school… Yes, I would absolutely get this vaccine for my kid,’” Calarco said.

Calarco is hopeful mandates would keep children safe as the pandemic continues.

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