MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of children below 5 years of age, from July to September 2022 at two urban primary care clinics in the Cheras district of Kuala Lumpur. Hesitance and perception of the COVID-19 vaccine were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS: A total of 219 completed entries were analysed. The rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitance for children below the age of 5 was 64.4% (n=141). Univariate analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy was associated with parental age and Muslim religion. The multivariate model showed that younger parents were more likely to be vaccine hesitant compared to older parents. A 1-year increase in parental age showed a 13% decrease in the odds of vaccine hesitancy (AOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.96). Muslim parents were also more likely to be vaccine hesitant compared to non-Muslim parents (AOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.26-4.79). Most parents perceived correctly that the vaccine can prevent complications and the spread of the disease. However, their main barriers to vaccination were concerns regarding side effects, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.