Majority in new poll would get COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12

More than half of those surveyed in a new poll say they would have their children inoculated against the coronavirus if a vaccine were made available for those under the age of 12. 

A total of 55 percent of parents in the U.S. with children under 12 surveyed for a Gallup poll published on Tuesday say they would get their child vaccinated against the virus.

Among adults in the poll who are vaccinated, 82 percent of parents say they would do the same for a child. Only 1 percent of parents who do not plan to get vaccinated themselves agreed, according to the survey firm. 

Along partisan lines, 83 percent of respondents who have children under the age of 12 and identify as Democrats indicated they would have their child vaccinated, the poll found. Half of the independents surveyed and 21 percent of Republicans said the same.

More than 5.5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, Gallup noted, citing data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association. 

Public health officials and local governments in several states have cited a lack of vaccines for children under 12 and rising case counts among the young as the justification for school mask mandates and vaccine requirements for teachers and school staff. 

Meanwhile, President Biden and federal health officials are pursuing the rollout of coronavirus booster shots for older and at-risk Americans as the government attempts to beat back new waves of virus and the delta variant surge that began earlier this summer. 

Biden received his booster shot publicly on Monday. 

More than half of parents told Gallup as part of the new survey they are “very” or “somewhat” worried their child might contract the coronavirus, with 82 percent of Democrats expressing worry. Fewer than half of independents, 44 percent, and 24 percent Republicans also said they are concerned. 

The Gallup poll was conducted Sept. 13-19 among 4,034 adults. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.