Why we hesitated to vaccinate our child. What changed our mind.

A mother’s perspective on the Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy among parents

A third-year into the pandemic and many parents, especially moms, are still on the fence about vaccinating their children. A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows 3 in 10 parents in the U.S. won’t get their teen vaccinated.

As a parent who is fully vaccinated, including having received a booster shot, I believe in vaccines. BUT when it comes to getting the Covid-19 vaccine for my child, I am hesitant.

I am not alone.

After speaking to several friends (some are Doctors) and school parents, on this sensitive topic, it’s apparent that vaccine-hesitancy among parents of young children and teens is widespread and legitimate.

Why?

In the early approval stages of the children’s vaccine, a front-line doctor friend of mine refused to inoculate her children because she did not see enough data on the vaccine’s safety for kids. Concerned about the emerging stories of severe side effects, she decided to wait for more scientific proof and data.

So if doctors are thinking twice about vaccinating their kids, can you blame the common folks?

However, before you label us as anti-vaxers let’s be clear. The majority of us parents are judicious when it comes to our child’s health. My child has received 100% of all the vaccines she needs for her age.

Data shows that vaccinations for common childhood diseases are at an all-time high and numbers prove it. The CDC reports that more than 90% of US children up to age 24 months are immunized against several diseases, including measles, mumps, and rubella. And approximately 95% of kindergarteners had received state-required vaccines for the 2019–2020 school year.

The bottom line, parents are not foolish.

Then why are parents reluctant to vaccinate their kids against Covid-19?

1. Covid-19 Vaccines are New and the Science is Confusing

Shots to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella have been around since the 1960s. Decades of data support their efficacy. But ALL Covid-19 vaccines were developed as a rush-job in 2021. They are too new for us to know everything about them. It’s that simple. And unlike folks of the previous generations, we parents, thanks to social media and instant messaging, are continually bombarded with confusing data and misinformation.

Plus, these vaccines are approved for emergency use under the current pandemic and not all of them are ‘fully licensed’ by the FDA. Many parents I have spoken to, use this lack of full license approval as the reason to opt-out.

To convince parents to vaccinate their children, FDA needs to hasten their due deligence efforts in approving these vaccines.

2. The Vaccine Side-effects: Real or False?

As adults, my husband and I experienced brutal side effects from the Moderna Vaccine. After our harsh experience, we were reluctant to subject our child to the same. Many parents feel the same way. The logic is, the recovery from Coronavirus is quick among children with a robust immune system, so why inflict them with harsh and largely unknown side-effects from these newbie vaccines?

Plus, the scary stories around myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) sent parents into a frenzy.

With the emergence of the Delta variant in early 2021, we had scheduled our child to receive her first vaccination shot but immediately canceled it after hearing the buzz about myocarditis. Who wants to risk the side effect of severe heart inflammation from an untested mRNA vaccine?. Add to that, there were rumors of adolescent girls experiencing interruptions in their monthly cycles with a possibility of long-term fertility issues. No thanks.

Although these side effects have since been proven false and are at best rare, it is hard to dismiss the valid concerns among parents of young teenage girls.

What if our child experiences any of these ‘rare’ side effects?

Our family also had a personal reason to shy away from vaccinations. My child was battling a chronic GI condition since early 2021 and we did not want to compound her health issues by inoculating her with a biological agent that is not widely studied yet. So, we did what most parents would, we decided to wait and watch. Wait for additional studies and watch the pandemic trends.

3. The Vaccination Process is Politicized

When it comes to vaccines, there’s a clear demarcation on what political party you align with. Research shows that Republicans are more likely to endorse Anti-Vaccine Misinformation. Adding fuel to this fire, media continues to spark the left- and right-wing debates on vaccinations, stirring up further confusion and making it difficult for parents to take a stand.

Politics should not decide our child’s health or anyone’s health for that matter. Not hearing a singular cohesive health message around the safety of vaccines is a legitimate reason for parents to opt out and remain skeptical.

Along came Omicron and changed our mind

Late November 2021, when the world was buckling under the fast-spreading Omicron variant, parents like us were forced to reconsider our stance. The holidays were coming up and cabin fever was mounting. Should we spend another winter in isolation or should we consider vaccinating our child against Covid-19 and its surmounting variants?

It was a tough and confusing decision.

We followed the science and inoculated our child with Pfizer’s 1st shot in early December and completed her second dose at the end of the month. Thankfully, besides a sore arm, our 12-year-old experienced no side effects from both jabs. She continues to wear a mask and proudly tells her friends that she’s fully vaccinated. As parents, we are relieved.

Did we take the right step? Science will reveal with time. Especially as new studies show that the 2-dose vaccine is not enough to ward off Omicron’s kiss. As I type, FDA has approved the booster shot for the 12-to-15-year-old category. Time for another jab? Yes, in 5 months. Till then we will proceed with masked caution as we gratefully appreciate the scientific geniuses behind these mRNA vaccines.

Suggestion to other parents

Consult your child’s doctor and base your decision on scientific facts and not falsely spread rumors. The covid-19 vaccine side effects on children are proven rare and vaccinating them is a positive step in curtailing this agonizing pandemic. A horror story that continues to grow with emerging new variants like the recently detected IHU variant that is 46% more transmissible than Omicron. While masks and social distancing remain the first line of defense, vaccinations are the vital second line to protect our loved ones.

As people living in the privileged Western world, we enjoy the luxury of getting vaccinated at any time with multiple options at our disposal. Weigh this against the developing countries where adults and children have no choice but to wait for vaccines to be readily available, if at all.

Similar stories from this author