Parents split on COVID-19 vaccinations for kids: poll

Parents with children under the age of 12 are narrowly divided on whether to inoculate their kids against the coronavirus, according to a new poll. 

The Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index published Tuesday found 44 percent of parents with children age 5 to 11 say they are likely to vaccinate their children, while 42 percent are unlikely to do so. 

Roughly three in five, or 57 percent, of parents of children under 18 indicated they are likely to vaccinate or have already vaccinated their children.

The poll found less than 20 percent of parents feel sending their kids to school in person poses a large risk, a finding that has dipped from 32 percent when most schools began reopening in August.

And around one in eight Americans, or 13 percent, also reported a local district has closed schools in the past week due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the building. 

The Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index was released on the same day a Gallup survey found more than half of parents would have their children inoculated against the coronavirus if a vaccine were made available for those under the age of 12. 

The Gallup poll fell heavily along partisan lines, with 83 percent of respondents who have children under the age of 12 and identify as Democrats indicating they would have their child vaccinated, while half of the independents and 21 percent of Republicans agreed.

The Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index was conducted Sept. 24-27 among 1,105 adults. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.