Decision-Making about COVID-19 Vaccines among Health Care Workers and Their Adolescent Children. (July 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mansfield, Lisa N.; Choi, Kristen; Delgado, Jeanne R.; Macias, Mayra; Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Lewin, Bruno; Bronstein, David; Chang, John; Bruxvoort, Katia
• Is Part Of: Western journal of nursing research. Volume 45:Number 7(2023)
• Page Start: 665
• Page End: 673
• Publication Date: 2023-07
• Subjects: COVID-19 vaccination -- vaccine behaviors -- family decision-making -- adolescent health -- immunizations; Nursing -- Research -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Research -- West (U.S.) -- Periodicals; Nursing -- West (U.S.) -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Nursing Research -- Periodicals; Soins infirmiers -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Soins infirmiers -- Périodiques; Soins infirmiers -- Recherche -- États-Unis (Ouest) -- Périodiques; Soins infirmiers -- États-Unis (Ouest) -- Périodiques; Soins infirmiers; Recherche; États-Unis (Ouest); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 610.730702
• DOI: 10.1177/01939459231170981
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0193-9459

Abstract

Health care workers promote COVID-19 vaccination for adolescent patients, and as parents, may influence their own children to get vaccinated. We conducted virtual, semi-structured qualitative interviews with vaccinated health care workers and their adolescent children to explore their decision-making process for COVID-19 vaccination. In total, 21 health care workers (physicians, nurses, and medical staff) and their adolescent children ( N = 17) participated in interviews. The following three themes described parent-adolescent decision-making for COVID-19 vaccination: (1) family anticipation and hesitation about COVID-19 vaccine approval; (2) parents' or adolescents' choice: the decision maker for adolescent COVID-19 vaccination; and (3) leveraging one's vaccination status to encourage others to get vaccinated. Nurses encouraged adolescent autonomy in decisions for COVID-19 vaccination while physicians viewed vaccination as the parent's decision. Health care workers and their adolescent children used role-modeling to motivate unvaccinated peers and may model their decision-making process for adolescent COVID-19 vaccination with their own children to support their patients' and parents' vaccine decisions.