Parental Attitudes Toward Inpatient Pediatric Vaccination

BACKGROUND Pediatric inpatient hospital admissions are opportunities for catch-up vaccination. Previous studies have demonstrated that hospitalized children are at risk of being undervaccinated. Limited research has investigated parents’ attitudes and concerns about inpatient vaccination. This study aimed to assess parents’ attitudes, preferences, and concerns during hospitalization. METHODS Parents of admitted pediatric patients younger than 18 years at a tertiary-care children’s hospital between February 2023 and August 2023 were recruited to complete a Research Electronic Data Capture–based survey. Survey items queried parents’ perspectives on hospital-based administration of routine childhood, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines. Demographic data, vaccination preferences, and concerns were collected. RESULTS A total of 100 parents completed the survey. Of these racially diverse participants, 68% were female, 72% were older than 30 years, 80% held at least a high school diploma, and 77% had 2 or more children. In 57% of cases, the hospitalized child was older than 6 years. Nearly half of respondents reported full-time employment. The most common concerns related to the child’s current illness and potential vaccine side effects. Most parents surveyed agreed that they would feel comfortable with the administration of routine and seasonal vaccines during their child’s hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Families’ most common concerns can be addressed with inpatient counseling. Inpatient vaccination programs align with parents’ preferences; further research should aim to identify best practices for implementing hospital-based catch-up immunizations.