Hospitalisation of children due to influenza is far more likely than COVID-19 to prompt parents to reconsider vaccination decisions, according to a study by Polish researchers, which found a marked difference in how parents respond to the two diseases after their child is admitted to hospital.
The research, published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, analysed attitudes of parents of unvaccinated children hospitalised for influenza or COVID-19 during the last epidemic season. The study covered 135 paediatric patients across multiple centres in Poland, including hospitals in Poznań, Białystok, Warsaw, Łódź, Bydgoszcz and Kielce.
The analysis included 72 children with influenza and 63 with COVID-19. Researchers examined whether hospitalisation influenced parental views on vaccination, including regret over not vaccinating, willingness to vaccinate in future seasons, readiness to encourage other parents to vaccinate, and interest in vaccination reminders such as those offered via the MojeIKP app.
The results showed clear differences between the two groups. Among parents of children hospitalised due to influenza, 63% said they regretted not vaccinating their child. In the COVID-19 group, the figure was 24%.
Similar gaps were recorded in future vaccination intentions. Fifty-eight percent of parents of children with influenza said they intended to vaccinate their child in the next season, compared with 16% of parents in the COVID-19 group.
Willingness to encourage other parents also differed, with 67% of parents of children with influenza expressing such intent, compared with 37% among parents of children hospitalised with COVID-19.
Researchers also found that disease severity influenced attitudes. Among children with COVID-19, parents of children with comorbidities were more likely to express regret over not vaccinating. More severe illness and longer hospitalisation were also associated with a greater willingness to vaccinate in the future. In influenza cases, pneumonia was particularly significant, and was linked to changes across all measured attitudes.
Professor Piotr Rzymski of the Medical University of Poznań, one of the study’s authors, said the differing responses were linked to how parents perceive the two diseases.
“Many people still treat the flu as a synonym for the common cold. For this reason, some parents do not perceive it as a threat requiring vaccination. However, hospitalisation of the child may verify this belief and make the parents aware that influenza can cause serious complications, which may prompt reconsideration of decisions regarding vaccinations,” Rzymski said.
He added that COVID-19 was viewed differently, with vaccine hesitancy playing a more central role than perception of disease severity.
“In the case of COVID-19, the situation is more complex. Since the beginning of the pandemic, this disease has been associated with severe disease and health hazards. The problem of low vaccination rates did not result from downplaying the threat posed by the virus, but primarily from the parents' approach to the vaccine itself, including concerns about its safety and effectiveness. Therefore, a child's stay in hospital did not have to automatically lead to a change in these beliefs,” he said.
The researchers noted that similar patterns had previously been observed among adults hospitalised with severe COVID-19, where serious illness did not necessarily translate into changed attitudes toward vaccination.
The study also found that information sources influencing vaccination decisions were dominated by the internet, with fewer parents citing medical staff, family, or friends.
Despite low willingness to vaccinate in the COVID-19 group, more than 40% of those parents said they would be open to receiving vaccination reminders. Around half of parents of children with influenza expressed similar interest.
The researchers suggested that automated reminders, such as those integrated into the MojeIKP app, could be a low-cost tool to improve vaccination uptake among parents who are not firmly opposed.
“The Ministry of Health should use the potential of the MojeIKP application in this context in the next epidemic season. Our analysis shows that these are parents' expectations, and research conducted in other countries, for example Denmark, shows the effectiveness of automated reminders in increasing vaccination rates in various population groups,” Rzymski said.
Katarzyna Czechowicz (PAP)
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