“I know parents are probably bombarded with misinformation about vaccines, even in their social circles: ‘My friend said that, my mother-in-law said that,'” said Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician in Orange County, California. I hope I can change something. “
The decision is especially difficult for parents to do on behalf of their first child, said Emily Brunson, a medical anthropologist at Texas State University who is researching parental vaccination choices. Because deciding on a vaccine is so personal and complicated, she said many parents are likely to procrastinate.
Vic Sandrin, who works for a cycling company in Vancouver, Washington, supports vaccines, but with caution. He, his wife and their 18-year-old reluctantly received the Covid vaccine to travel to work and family visits.
For his 11-year-old twins, however, he is content to wait: “I’m willing to take a risk for myself, and that made sense since I grew up,” Mr Sandrin said. “But for kids who already have a strong immune system, I don’t know if there’s a reason to vaccinate them, or at least not quite yet. ”
Basically, it’s a decision about which unknown – Covid or vaccine – parents are more afraid of. They can combine factors such as social routines, older relatives, school protocols, and the likelihood of serious illness to confirm their intuitive bias as to whether to allow their child. to get a shot.
Ms. Gauch, a mechanical engineer, calculated the risk for each family member individually. She has asthma, so the vaccine was easy for her. Her 14-year-old daughter got her first job this summer; vaccination meant she would not have to wear a face mask at work. And her 12-year-old daughter saw that vaccination could open up opportunities to leave her without a mask in public. Finished and done.