379 - Understanding Adolescent Vaccine Attitudes: Findings from the TeenLink Survey

Publication Number: 2368.379

Hannah L. Zacharia, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Addison, IL, United States; Tashyana Copeland-Smith, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, United States; Peihe Xia, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, 1656 Royal Oak Dr, OH, United States; Lasheena K. Brooks, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Maple Heights, OH, United States; Amy B. Middleman, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, United States; Sarah D. Ronis, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, Cleveland Hts, OH, United States

Background: Vaccine hesitancy has been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is unclear to what extent adolescents share in this trend. As teens transition toward independent healthcare decision-making, understanding the factors that shape their vaccine attitudes is essential to inform future education and outreach efforts.

Objective: To describe teens’ attitudes towards the vaccines offered to them in their pediatric primary care visits

Design/Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted July-August 2025 with teens presenting with their legal guardian for primary care to an urban academic pediatric practice in the Midwest. Social vulnerability was assessed based on residential zip code, applying the Social Vulnerability Metric (SVM, University of Chicago). Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percents) characterized participant demographics and responses, while bivariate analyses were conducted to explore differences in responses according to residential social vulnerability.

Results: 125 teens aged 14-17 years (75% Black/African American, 51% female, 73% residing in neighborhoods in highest tertile of the SVM) participated (66% response rate), of whom only 1 in 4 recalled being offered vaccines in the past 12 months and of those only 2 in 3 received all vaccine offered (COVID and Flu most frequently declined). Most reported that they agreed with their parents regarding vaccine decision-making (63%) and that their attitudes had not changed over the prior year (65%). Those who indicated they were now more likely to decline a vaccine (18%) were driven by concerns
about side effects, personal adverse experiences, and information shared by family friends and media sources. Those who were more likely to accept a vaccine (17%) were driven by information shared by healthcare providers, and media coverage of new research findings. Attitudes and behaviors were not associated with SVM.

Conclusion(s): These findings underscore the importance of directly engaging teens alongside their parents in conversations about vaccines as they begin making their own healthcare decisions. Future research should explore strategies to foster provider-teen trust, counter misinformation, and empower teens with reliable information. Incorporating teen perspectives into vaccine education may support long-term confidence and improve uptake into adulthood.