The survey from YouGov notes that 26 percent of parents are undecided about COVID-19 vaccination, and more than 60 percent of adults are not committed to having their children vaccinated against a virus that has allegedly killed over 700,000 Americans.
Vaccine-reluctant parents cite the possible side effects, distrust of the government and scientists and a lack of thorough testing as their main concerns. Many parents who have been inoculated have also said that they don't want their children to receive the vaccines.
This information is consistent with a poll completed by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which shows that only 34 percent of American parents plan to vaccinate their school children as soon as a vaccine for the 5 to 11 age group is authorized.
Government insists on vaccinating children despite risks
Around 500 American children have died from COVID-19 since recording began in May 2020, with the vast majority of childhood cases being mild. However, government advisors still insist that vaccines are thoroughly tested and safe despite being linked to serious and potentially deadly heart inflammation, especially among young men.
Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious disease bureaucrat, has also put out a message for parents who are reluctant to inoculate their children.
"We are seeing now, very clearly if you go to pediatric hospitals, that although this risk is less than the adults, there are children in hospital who are getting seriously ill," Fauci says. He adds that some children are suffering from long-term health issues because of the virus. (Related: VACCINE PREDATORS: Fauci thinks it is a "good idea" for schools to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for children.)
Some states have announced plans to mandate vaccination for schoolchildren.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California says that all elementary through high school students should be required to get vaccinated once it is given final approval from the government. "We want to end this pandemic. We are all exhausted by it," he says.
Some parents have expressed dissent, saying that they would rather move their children to a different state than comply with the vaccine requirement in California.
Parents wary of COVID-19 vaccine
As Big Pharma companies race to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, many are still wary due to the shot getting approved at record speed during a highly politicized pandemic. Schools, which are almost certainly going to require students to get vaccinated, could potentially set the stage for a showdown between reluctant parents and officials.
Michelle Vargas of Granite City, Illinois, has always vaccinated her 10-year-old daughter, Madison. They both get annual flu shots. But when a vaccine for the coronavirus eventually comes out, Vargas will not be giving it to her daughter.
"There is no way in hell I would be playing politics with my daughter's health and safety," says Vargas, 36, an online fitness instructor. If Madison's school says the vaccine is mandatory, "we would find other options," she says.
The decisions to require COVID-19 vaccination in schools will be made at the state and school district levels.
While all 50 states require student vaccinations, most also allow exemptions, such as that for medical reasons and those based on religious grounds. Moreover, 15 states allow philosophical exemptions for people who object to immunizations on personal, moral or other grounds.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said that COVID-19 vaccines for children will not likely be widely available until later.
Get more updates about vaccine mandates at Pandemic.news.
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