Even when the COVID vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 becomes available in the coming weeks, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 3 in 10 parents will not allow their kids to get the vaccine “right away.”

KFF conducted the survey from Oct. 14 to Oct. 24, “among a nationally representative random digit dial telephone sample of 1,519 adults ages 18 and over," and released the results Thursday.

Nearly one-third of parents responding to the KFF survey said they would wait and see how the vaccine worked before allowing their young children to get it, while three in 10 say they definitively will not get their kids vaccinated. Another 5% say they will only vaccinate their children if there is a school mandate.

The main concern parents reported was the unknown potential long-term effects and serious side effects of the vaccine. Two-thirds are concerned the vaccine may affect their children’s future fertility. Half of the parents are concerned that schools may require their kids to get the vaccine to attend school even if the parents oppose it.

Some parents were worried about missing work to deal with their children’s vaccinations, having to pay out of pocket, not being able to get vaccines from trusted places, or having difficulty traveling to vaccination locations. Much of these concerns have to do with misinformation and disinformation spread across the internet about COVID, the vaccines and the boosters.

Lower-income households (under $50,000 in annual income) were more likely to be concerned about issues related to vaccine access. However, the shots are available for free at community clinics throughout the country.

Half of the public has returned to normal pre-pandemic activities, with many expecting to return to regular holiday traditions, including going trick-or-treating with their kids this Halloween. One-third of vaccinated adults, Democrats and Hispanic parents reported that their children will not be going trick-or-treating this year because of COVID-19 concerns.

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