Parental Perception of COVID-19 Vaccine in Pediatric Patients With Tracheostomy and Ventilator Dependence

Vaccinating the population is the next step in combating COVID 19 pandemic however there continues to be vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy is the indecision of consenting to vaccination (Dosanjh, 2021) and is not a new phenomenon. The most recent example is the reemergence of measles in the United States prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. Anti-vaccine groups have spread messages of conspiracy theories, myths and misperceptions, questions about the speed of vaccine development and long term side effects in the media which also attributes to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (Khubcandani et al, 2021).

Children infected with COVID 19 typically have mild symptoms of the disease. Risk factors associated with severe disease are neonatal age group, male gender, lower respiratory tract disease and pre-existing medical conditions. Children who use chronic home mechanical ventilation are considered a high-risk group for developing severe COVID 19 infection (Vasconcello-Castillo et al., 2020). These children have various diagnoses and pathologies such as neuromuscular disease, sleep disorders and chronic lung disease. These patients require continuous use of ventilatory support in the home and are at high risk for respiratory infections and mortality. Most of these patients need advanced nursing care and special respiratory equipment to prevent hospitalization such as manual chest physiotherapy, mechanical ex-sufflator device, chest vest device and increased ventilator support.

Recently the FDA approved of Pfizer's COVID 19 vaccine in ages 12 and older. It is anticipated that by fall 2021 the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccine will be approved by the FDA for children ages 2 and older. Vaccinating children will help decrease transmission of COVID 19, contribute to community immunity and allow kids go back to camps this summer and back to in-person school more safely.

Since the chronic home mechanical ventilation population is at risk for developing severe COVID 19 disease, the investigator would hypothesize that most parents are ready and willing to vaccinate their children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the parental perception of COVID 19 vaccine in pediatric patients with "technology dependence" and identify the barriers to vaccination.

After surveys are collected and barriers are identified, vaccine counseling will be provided by a provider (nurse practitioner or physician). Vaccine safety, efficacy, side effects will be reviewed with the parents.