Predictors of Parental Vaccine Hesitancy/Refusal towards COVID-19 Vaccines in North Cyprus

This study aimed to investigate whether certain factors such as conspiracy, rumination, and parenting styles could predict parental vaccine hesitancy/refusal toward COVID19 vaccines. The COVID-19 virus has been a massive health threat worldwide and has resulted in vast number of human lives. To prevent and lessen the impact of the virus, vaccines have been implemented. These vaccines are now also available for children however, parental refusal and hesitancy to vaccines were observed all over the world. An online survey was conducted to investigate parental COVID–19 vaccine hesitancy/refusal on a sample of 200 parents from North Cyprus. The online questionnaire gathered information on demographic information, parenting disciplinary styles, trust to health care professionals and government, conspiracy, and ruminative thinking. The variables investigated were found to lead to vaccine hesitancy/refusal for children and for themselves. Conspiracy thinking was found to result in parental vaccine hesitancy/refusal whereas ruminative thinking was found to reduce hesitancy towards vaccines. Decreased levels of trust in health authorities and government were also a good predictor of vaccine hesitancy/refusal. Poor supervision in parenting was also found to be negatively correlated with vaccine hesitancy/refusal. Reviewing these predictor variables for vaccine hesitancy/refusal can be a good indicator for vaccination strategies. It can also offer a likely solution to prevent parental vaccine hesitancy/refusal currently and in the future.