Hesitação à Vacina de COVID-19 para Crianças no Brasil

Abstract

Currently, one of the most effective strategies in the fi ght against COVID-19 is vaccination. With an expressive number of vaccinated in Brazil, specialists and Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) present as a national vaccination plan the use of immunizations for children, which has caused a certain strangeness and hesitation on the part of those responsible and has divided opinions among the population as a whole. It is known that many opinions are the result of political and ideological positions and that they are in favor or against vaccination. Some groups present arguments that defend the immediate vaccination of children and another that maintains possible damages to health that can lead to psychological and physical consequences, in addition to deeming unnecessary. This work seeks to answer the following question: does the perception of risk and benefi t of vaccination against COVID-19 affect the attitude of parents or guardians to vaccinate their children? Thus, the main objective is to analyze the vaccination of children through the perception of risks or benefi ts and whether factors such as gender, education and sharing residence with children affect the decision to hesitate before vaccinating. The research had 293 participants, of both sexes (M=36.5% and F=63.5%), with an average age of 38 years, distributed in 17 Brazilian states. After statistical analysis, it was found that gender is not a signifi cant variable for the decision to vaccinate children, as well as schooling and he fact of living with the child. However, a signifi cant correlation was found between the perception of benefi t (p=.016) and risk (p=.001) and the decision to vaccinate, with the perception of risk being more determinant in the attitude of hesitation .Keyword: pandemic, vaccine, children, immunization, hesitation.