Determinants of parental seasonal influenza vaccine hesitancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A cross-sectional study

Seasonal influenza vaccine can reduce the risk of influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths among children. Given that parents are the primary decision makers, this study examined the parental attitude toward childhood influenza vaccine and identified determinants of vaccine hesitancy (VH) in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online survey in 14 EMR countries. Parents of children aged 6 months to 18 years were included. The Parent Attitude about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) was used to assess VH. Chi square test and independent t-test were used to test for association of qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively. A structural equations model (SEM) was used to identify direct and indirect determinants of parental VH. Almost half of the parents were hesitant about vaccinating their children against influenza (50.8%). Parental VH was significantly higher among older mothers (37.06 ± 8.8 years, = 0.006), rural residents (53.6%,