Parents of children aged 12-15 overwhelmingly want their kids to take the Covid-19 vaccine, according to research.
A survey polling 603 parents with children in this age group found 68 per cent agree their children should be offered a first dose, with 14 per cent saying the opposite.
However, just under one in five (18 per cent) are still undecided about whether to get their teens vaccinated.
Of those who aren’t planning on having their children vaccinated, 52 per cent feel Covid-19 bears ‘no major health risk’ to youngsters of that age.
For two-thirds, however, the long-term effects of the vaccine are unknown – meaning they would rather err on the side of caution.
More than half (54 per cent) believe their children do want to have the vaccine, and 23 per cent feel parents know best – and should be able to over-ride their child’s wishes one way or the other.
The research was commissioned by UK insight experts OnePoll, whose head of research Mark Hodson said: “It is an easier decision to choose to get the vaccine – or not – for yourself, than for someone else.
“These results show the nation is, in general, positive about the Covid-19 vaccination program, and would like it to extend to younger generations.
“That general positivity also, it seems, has spread to the young people of Britain who are also eager to get vaccinated.”
The results also secured the opinions of young Brits aged 12-15 and found 66 per cent want to be given the vaccine.
But for the one in three who don’t want it, 11 per cent cite not knowing anyone who has had the virus as a reason why.
Another 44 per cent worry about the side effects – with a fifth even concerned they may develop heart problems after the jab, and one in 20 fearful they might get cancer.
For 32 per cent, however, they simply don’t like injections – and may be more likely to take a vaccine offered in a different way.
One in five would be happy to leave the decision on whether to have it in their parents’ hands, while 67 per cent think they should have the final say.
More than half (58 per cent) go as far as to say they would have the vaccine, even if their parents didn’t want them to.
Mark Hodson from OnePoll added: “The debate around the Gillick competence test – which analyses a young person’s decision to make mature decisions – rages on.
“The data indicates most children would want to have the vaccine if offered, potentially even against their parents’ wishes.
“This could cause serious divisions within a household, as could the opposite scenario.”