WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expected to soon issue emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, 55% of parents of children younger than 12 say they would plan to have their child receive it, while 45% would not. These figures have not wavered in monthly readings since May.
Line graph. Percentages of parents of children under the age of 12 who say they would plan to have their child receive a COVID-19 vaccine if one is approved since May. The latest reading is 55%. It has ranged from 53% to 55% over that period.
This latest update on parental intentions from Gallup's COVID-19 Panel survey, conducted Oct. 18-24, finds that parents' readiness to have their child vaccinated varies based on their political party identification, their own vaccination status and their education level.
Among U.S. parents of children under 12:
- Nine in 10 who identify as Democrats say they would get their young child vaccinated when the vaccine is approved, while just 19% of Republicans and 48% of independents say the same.
- A 79% majority of those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 say they would get the shot for their child, compared with just 1% of those who are not vaccinated and don't plan to be.
- Those with college degrees are more likely than those without to say they would get their child vaccinated -- 70% vs. 44%, respectively.
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| All parents of children under 12 | 55 | 45 |
| Party identification | ||
| Democrats | 90 | 10 |
| Independents | 48 | 52 |
| Republicans | 19 | 81 |
| Vaccination status | ||
| Fully vaccinated | 79 | 21 |
| Do not plan to get vaccinated | 1 | 99 |
| Education level | ||
| College degree | 70 | 30 |
| No college degree | 44 | 56 |
| Oct. 18-24, 2021 | ||
| GALLUP | ||
To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.
Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works.
