An Exploration of COVID-19 Impact and Vaccine Hesitancy in Parents of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HCT) Recipients

There is paucity of data on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy amongst parents of pediatric (age ≤ 17 years) hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determined COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and COVID-19 impact on family and related distress in this population. A national group (n = 80) was recruited via social media (Facebook) from February−May 2021. With vaccine approval for ≥12 years in July 2021, a second group (n = 37) was recruited locally. Parents completed surveys including the Vaccine Hesitancy Questionnaire and COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scale (CEFIS). Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze results and factors impacting Vaccine Hesitancy Scores (VHS). The majority of parents were non-Hispanic White (≥90%) and children ≥3 months post-HCT (85%). Mean CEFIS score (scale 0–60) was 41.11 (SD = 8.24), with higher scores indicating negative impact of the pandemic. Mean (± standard deviation) VHS was 2.87 (±0.79) on a scale of 1–4, with 1 indicating higher and 4 lower hesitancy. Concerns about vaccine related side effects, lower parental age, child age, household income, and education were associated with lower VHS. Receiving reliable information and recommendations by providers was associated with higher VHS. Improving vaccine acceptance in this population is critical in protecting pediatric HCT recipients.