Study: 1 in 3 Singapore Parents Hesitant to Have Their Children Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Although Singapore recorded one of the world’s highest COVID-19 vaccine rates, parents in the city-state continue to have doubts over having their children inoculated against the disease. About one in three parents in Singapore is reluctant to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19, a study by a group of paediatricians from the Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children’s Medical Institute (KTP-NUCMI) at the National University Hospital (NUH) finds.

The study surveyed 628 parents aged 32 to 45 years old through FormSG from November 2021 to March 2022, asking the different factors that contribute to their vaccine hesitancy, including the impact of social media. Results revealed that more than half of vaccine-hesitant and non-hesitant parents have a lower level of trust towards their children’s doctors.

Other findings showed parents with higher income and education were more willing to vaccinate their children, and fathers (39.1%) were more hesitant compared to mothers (30.4%).

“This requires us to work with each and every parent during opportune moments, during the consultations, to address any of their concerns that they have, and to work together to ensure that they receive the vaccinations in a reassured fashion,” KTP-NUCMI associate consultant Dr. Low Jia Ming was quoted as saying in a CNA report.