Parents perception towards covid-19 vaccine for children in Southern Ethiopia

<strong>Background:</strong> Vaccine refusal and hesitancy have a negative impact on public health initiatives to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases. The willingness of people to accept the vaccine for themselves and their own child or children will be critical to COVID-19 immunization programs' success. The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health has launched a COVID-19 immunization campaign for children aged 12 to 18 years old. Vaccinations for children under the age of 18 are normally decided by their parents or guardians. However, it is unknown how this effort has been supported by parental attitudes of COVID-19 vaccines, which could have an impact on their implementation. With few previous studies, this qualitative study sought to learn more about parents' perceptions toward the COVID-19 immunization for children in Ethiopia's Gedeo zone. <strong>Methods</strong>: A community-based descriptive qualitative study was conducted from December 6 to 18, 2021. Twenty families with children under the age of 18 were interviewed in depth, as were three community key informants working in the immunization unit. To maintain social distancing, the WHO recommendations for social distancing and the use of personal protection equipment were followed. At the time of data collection, the sample size is determined by the theoretical data saturation. The qualitative data was recorded on tape and transcribed verbatim into Amharic before being contextually translated into English. Thematic analyses were used to describe and analyze the data using open code software version 4.03. <strong>Result:</strong> Concerns about vaccine safety, effectiveness, information gaps, the utility of vaccinating children, religious belief, conspiracy, vaccine doubt or uncertainty, and community perception toward priority setting have all been recognized as major barriers to vaccine acceptance. The media has both bad and good influences on vaccine acceptance, and it is currently receiving less attention. Engagement of public figures and community in vaccinations were among factors motivating for vaccinations. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>The intention to vaccinate children against Covid-19 is naive. The primary barriers were identified as concerns about vaccination safety, effectiveness, information gaps, the utility of vaccinating children, religious belief, conspiracy, vaccine doubt or uncertainty, and community perspective toward priority setting. Our findings suggest that engaging the help of public figures and community leaders to promote vaccinations is the most efficient way to get people to get vaccinated. In addition, re-establishing media and political focus, as it had been previously, was a vital measure in the fight against Covid-19.