A comprehensive review of Canadian online resources for caregivers of information on SARS-COV-2 vaccinations for children aged 5–11 years
Why we did the project
Caregivers identified the online resources as one of their primary sources of information related to COVID-19 vaccines. Identifying high quality resources and minimizing the spread of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial to building vaccine confidence and providing reliable and accessible information. Our project aim is to evaluate the readability, reliability, understandability, and content of the Canadian online resources.
How we did the project
A Google search was conducted from March 21 to April 22, 2022, of Canadian public-facing webpages from the government, public health authorities, academic paediatric hospitals, and selected professional organizations on COVID-19 vaccines targeting caregivers of children from 5 to 11 years old. Pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria and site mapping were used to screen and identify primary and secondary weblinks. A content checklist was developed to assess webpages’ key topics, including vaccine safety and effectiveness. Several validated tools were used to assess reliability, readability, and understandability/actionability.
What we found in the project
A total of 44 primary pages and 141 secondary pages were included for analysis (see figure below). Most printable material (43/44) were rated highly understandable but only 7 resources provided actionable information. Resources with audiovisual materials (n=19) scored highly for understandability and actionability. Only 21 main pages achieved the maximum reliability scores and only 5 resources were easy to read. Some resources lacked information addressing important parental safety concerns, like infertility.
High quality COVID-19 resources
Our resource review project identified several very high-quality COVID-19 resources including:
- Children and COVID-19 Vaccination – BC Centre for Disease Control
- COVID-19 vaccines for children and youth – Immunize BC
- Vaccines for children: COVID-19 – Government of Canada
How we have shared our findings
The results of this study have been presented at the International Pediatric Association Congress in February 2023 in India, the Canadian Immunization Conference in April 2023 in Ottawa, and The European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases in May 2023 in Portugal.
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