Publication date: Feb 05, 2025

This observational prospective cross-sectional study was conducted during the last 4 months of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine whether parental hesitancy to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 had improved compared to earlier studies in other countries showing high levels of hesitancy. Parents were surveyed from January 4 until May 16, 2023, at two tertiary medical centers in Beirut, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and the Saint George Hospital University Medical Center (SGHUMC). The study enrolled 950 participants, predominantly mothers (79. 6%) aged 30-49 (79%), highly educated parents (69. 8% of mothers and 62. 2% of fathers were university graduates). Although routine childhood vaccinations received remarkable acceptance (98. 3%), there was considerable hesitancy towards pediatric COVID-19 (56. 4%). Only 9. 4% had vaccinated all eligible children. The main parental concern was the vaccine’s safety and perceived lack of testing (p 

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