Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Parents of Children with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Saudi Arabia: a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2023 Jun 26

PMID 37365523

Authors

Ali Jawad Al Saad

Ghadeer Mohammed Alhassan

Maryam Saleh Albedaiwi

Fatimah Fathi Alqattan

Fatimah Ali Aleisa

Hawra Wasel Alabdulmuhsin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was noticed to be less common among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to explore the beliefs and willingness of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders about COVID-19 vaccine and understand how certain factors influencing the vaccine decision-making process differ between them and other parents' groups.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August to November 2021. An Arabic online survey was distributed in August 2021 to collect the study's data. 400 parents from all the major regions in Saudi Arabia participated in and shared their beliefs about the new COVID-19 vaccination for their children.

Results: Out of 400 participants, 381 of them were eligible to answer the survey (95.2%). The total number of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorder was 158 (41.5%), was compared to responses of parents of heathy children 223 (58.5%). 85 (53.8%) of them were ready to vaccinate their children with COVID-19 vaccine. While 36 (22.8%) were hesitant, the rest 37 (23.4%) did not want to vaccinate their children at all. Only a small number 16 (10.1%) have beliefs of vaccines as a cause of their child's neurodevelopmental disorder. A total of 79 out of 131 responses were received from both parents' groups. Fear of long-term side-effects was the most common reason reported by 41 responders out of 64 (64.06%) from parents of healthy children and 38 responders out of 67 (56.71%) from parents of diagnosed children. Another reason reported by parents of younger children in both groups was the child's age. Having a healthcare relative worker was significantly associated with the vaccine decision making (p < .001).

Conclusion: The acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination of parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders was low compared to the parents of healthy children in Saudi Arabia. Authorities can benefit from this study results to offer more accessible information about the vaccine importance and safety to the targeted population.

Citing Articles

Vaccine Hesitancy in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Context: Parental Vaccine Decision-Making and Coping with Stress Strategies.

Gulle B, Yassibas U, Sarigedik E J Autism Dev Disord. 2024; .

PMID: 39115743 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06508-x.

Evaluating COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among parents in Saudi Arabia: a systematic review examining attitudes, hesitancy, and intentions.

Sayed A Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1327944.

PMID: 38584927 PMC: 10995243. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1327944.

Parents' Concerns, Behavior, Perception, and Hesitancy Regarding COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children in Central Saudi Arabia.

Iqbal M, Naved Khan M, Qamer S, Khan S Vaccines (Basel). 2023; 11(10).

PMID: 37896968 PMC: 10611308. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11101566.

References

Patel M, Janssen A, Tardif R, Herring M, Parashar U . A qualitative assessment of factors influencing acceptance of a new rotavirus vaccine among health care providers and consumers. BMC Pediatr. 2007; 7:32. PMC: 2203981. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-7-32. View

Khatatbeh M, Albalas S, Khatatbeh H, Momani W, Melhem O, Al Omari O . Children's rates of COVID-19 vaccination as reported by parents, vaccine hesitancy, and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children: a multi-country study from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1375. PMC: 9294741. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13798-2. View

Zerbo O, Modaressi S, Goddard K, Lewis E, Fireman B, Daley M . Vaccination Patterns in Children After Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and in Their Younger Siblings. JAMA Pediatr. 2018; 172(5):469-475. PMC: 5875314. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.0082. View

Prislin R, Dyer J, Blakely C, Johnson C . Immunization status and sociodemographic characteristics: the mediating role of beliefs, attitudes, and perceived control. Am J Public Health. 1998; 88(12):1821-6. PMC: 1509037. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.88.12.1821. View

Khatrawi E, Sayed A . The Reasons behind COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy among the Parents of Children Aged between 5 to 11 Years Old in Saudi Arabia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(2). PMC: 9859117. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021345. View

Goin-Kochel R, Fombonne E, Mire S, Minard C, Sahni L, Cunningham R . Beliefs about causes of autism and vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Vaccine. 2020; 38(40):6327-6333. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.07.034. View

AlSubaie S, Gosadi I, Alsaadi B, Albacker N, Bawazir M, Bin-Daud N . Vaccine hesitancy among Saudi parents and its determinants. Result from the WHO SAGE working group on vaccine hesitancy survey tool. Saudi Med J. 2019; 40(12):1242-1250. PMC: 6969619. DOI: 10.15537/smj.2019.12.24653. View

Akis S, Velipasaoglu S, Camurdan A, Beyazova U, Sahn F . Factors associated with parental acceptance and refusal of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 vaccine in Turkey. Eur J Pediatr. 2011; 170(9):1165-72. DOI: 10.1007/s00431-011-1425-6. View

Opel D, Mangione-Smith R, Taylor J, Korfiatis C, Wiese C, Catz S . Development of a survey to identify vaccine-hesitant parents: the parent attitudes about childhood vaccines survey. Hum Vaccin. 2011; 7(4):419-25. PMC: 3360071. DOI: 10.4161/hv.7.4.14120. View

10.

Paterson P, Chantler T, Larson H . Reasons for non-vaccination: Parental vaccine hesitancy and the childhood influenza vaccination school pilot programme in England. Vaccine. 2017; 36(36):5397-5401. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.08.016. View

11.

Gust D, Kennedy A, Shui I, Smith P, Nowak G, Pickering L . Parent attitudes toward immunizations and healthcare providers the role of information. Am J Prev Med. 2005; 29(2):105-12. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.04.010. View

12.

Smith P, Humiston S, Marcuse E, Zhao Z, Dorell C, Howes C . Parental delay or refusal of vaccine doses, childhood vaccination coverage at 24 months of age, and the Health Belief Model. Public Health Rep. 2011; 126 Suppl 2:135-46. PMC: 3113438. DOI: 10.1177/00333549111260S215. View

13.

Holroyd T, Sauer M, Limaye R . Vaccine decision-making among parents of children on Medicaid with and without autism spectrum disorder. Vaccine. 2020; 38(43):6777-6784. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.08.041. View

14.

Alsuwaidi A, Elbarazi I, Al-Hamad S, AlDhaheri R, Sheek-Hussein M, Narchi H . Vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among Arab parents: a cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2020; 16(12):3163-3169. PMC: 8641603. DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1753439. View

15.

Spiteri G, Fielding J, Diercke M, Campese C, Enouf V, Gaymard A . First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020; 25(9). PMC: 7068164. DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000178. View

16.

Zhang K, Fang Y, Cao H, Chen H, Hu T, Chen Y . Parental Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccination for Children Under the Age of 18 Years: Cross-Sectional Online Survey. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2020; 3(2):e24827. PMC: 7775376. DOI: 10.2196/24827. View

17.

Sahni L, Boom J, Mire S, Berry L, Dowell L, Minard C . Vaccine Hesitancy and Illness Perceptions: Comparing Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to other Parent Groups. Child Health Care. 2021; 49(4):385-402. PMC: 7954230. DOI: 10.1080/02739615.2020.1740883. View

18.

Wang Z, She R, Chen X, Li L, Li L, Huang Z . Parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 18 years among Chinese doctors and nurses: a cross-sectional online survey. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021; 17(10):3322-3332. PMC: 8437525. DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1917232. View

19.

Gust D, Woodruff R, Kennedy A, Brown C, Sheedy K, Hibbs B . Parental perceptions surrounding risks and benefits of immunization. Semin Pediatr Infect Dis. 2003; 14(3):207-12. DOI: 10.1016/s1045-1870(03)00035-9. View

20.

Salmon D, Pan W, Omer S, Navar A, Orenstein W, Marcuse E . Vaccine knowledge and practices of primary care providers of exempt vs. vaccinated children. Hum Vaccin. 2008; 4(4):286-91. PMC: 5833987. DOI: 10.4161/hv.4.4.5752. View