scholarly journals A national survey of attitudes towards and intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19: implications for communications

Author(s):  
Martine Stead ◽  
Curtis Jessop ◽  
Kathryn Angus ◽  
Helen Bedford ◽  
Michael Ussher ◽  
...  

Background Hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination threatens comprehensive vaccination. It is important to examine vaccination acceptance when people are making real rather than hypothetical decisions, to identify whether targeted support is needed, and to identify implications for communications. Methods Cross-sectional online and telephone survey with probability-based sample (n=4,978) of British adults, conducted January-February 2021. Measures: socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, education, financial status), COVID-19 status, vaccine acceptance, trust in COVID-19 vaccination information sources, perceptions of vaccination priority groups, and perceptions of importance of second dose. Findings Among 5,931 individuals invited, survey response rate was 84%. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (83%) was associated with increasing age, higher level of education and having been invited for vaccination. Acceptance decreased with unconfirmed past COVID-19, greater financial hardship, and non-White British ethnicity; Black/Black British participants had lowest acceptance. Overall, healthcare and scientific sources of information were most trusted. Compared with White British participants, other ethnicities had lower trust in healthcare and scientific sources. Those with lower educational attainment or financial hardship had lower trust in healthcare and scientific sources. Those with no qualifications had higher trust in media and family/friends. While trust was low overall in community or faith leaders it was higher among those with Asian/Asian British and Black/Black British ethnicity compared with White British participants. Views of vaccine prioritisation were mostly consistent with UK official policy but there was support for prioritising additional groups. There was high support for having the second vaccine dose. Conclusions Targeted engagement is needed to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in non-White British ethnic groups, in younger adults, and among those with lower education, greater financial hardship and unconfirmed past infection. Healthcare professionals and scientific advisors should play a central role in communications and tailored messaging is needed for hesitant groups. Careful communication around vaccination prioritisation continues to be required.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1391
Author(s):  
Yulia Gendler ◽  
Lani Ofri

Vaccination is currently the most effective strategy for combating COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines were introduced to the adult population in Israel in early December 2020 and have been available for children aged 12–15 since June 2021. Our study aimed at assessing the influence of vaccine literacy, perception, hesitancy, and behavior on Israeli parents’ intentions to have their children vaccinated. Using an anonymous online questionnaire, we recruited 520 parents; 70.4% of the parents indicated that they would get their children vaccinated. The participants’ COVID-19 vaccination status was the only socio-demographic factor significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination acceptability (OR = 32.89; 95%CI = [13.11, 82.54]). The most common sources of information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine were health-care providers and the Internet. Parents who intend to vaccinate their children had higher mean levels of vaccine literacy (2.99 ± 0.47 vs. 3.07 ± 0.44 respectively, p = 0.06), more positive perception of the vaccine (mean scores of 2.26 ± 0.75 vs. 3.44 ± 0.68 respectively, p < 0.001), and lower perceived vaccine hesitancy (7.53 ± 2.37 vs. 4.68 ± 2.71 respectively, p < 0.001) than parents who do not intend to do so. Vaccine behavior was measured using the 5C model of psychological antecedents. All 5C components were significantly correlated with parents’ willingness to vaccinate their children. Understanding of parents’ willingness to have their children receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the barriers to and facilitators of the vaccination is crucial, as vaccination of children aged 5–11 has recently been approved by the FDA. Providing the population with reliable information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is an important measure in the attempt to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.



Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Shekhar ◽  
Abu Baker Sheikh ◽  
Shubhra Upadhyay ◽  
Mriganka Singh ◽  
Saket Kottewar ◽  
...  

Background: Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine will play a major role in combating the pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the first group to receive vaccination, so it is important to consider their attitudes about COVID-19 vaccination to better address barriers to widespread vaccination acceptance. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study to assess the attitude of HCWs toward COVID-19 vaccination. Data were collected between 7 October and 9 November 2020. We received 4080 responses out of which 3479 were complete responses and were included in the final analysis. Results: 36% of respondents were willing to take the vaccine as soon as it became available while 56% were not sure or would wait to review more data. Only 8% of HCWs do not plan to get vaccine. Vaccine acceptance increased with increasing age, education, and income level. A smaller percentage of female (31%), Black (19%), Lantinx (30%), and rural (26%) HCWs were willing to take the vaccine as soon as it became available than the overall study population. Direct medical care providers had higher vaccine acceptance (49%). Safety (69%), effectiveness (69%), and speed of development/approval (74%) were noted as the most common concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination in our survey.



Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 798
Author(s):  
Sami H. Alzahrani ◽  
Mukhtiar Baig ◽  
Mohammed W. Alrabia ◽  
Mohammed R. Algethami ◽  
Meshari M. Alhamdan ◽  
...  

Vaccine uptake could influence vaccination efforts to control the widespread COVID-19 pandemic; however, little is known about vaccine acceptance in Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to assess the Saudi public’s intent to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and explore the associated demographic determinants of their intentions as well as the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed to public individuals in Saudi Arabia between 25 December 2020 and 15 February 2021. Participants were asked if they were willing to get vaccinated, and the responses, along with demographic data were entered into a multinomial logistic regression model to assess the relative risk ratio (RRR) for responding “no” or “unsure” versus “yes”. Among 3048 participants (60.1% female, 89.5% Saudi), 52.9% intend to get vaccinated, 26.8% were unsure, and 20.3% refused vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy was significantly higher among females (RRR = 2.70, p < 0.0001) and those who had not been recently vaccinated for influenza (RRR = 2.63, p < 0.0001). The likelihood was lower among Saudis (RRR = 0.49, p < 0.0001), those with less than a secondary education (RRR = 0.16, p < 0.0001), perceived risks of COVID-19, and residents of the southern region (RRR = 0.46, p < 0.0001). The most often cited reasons for hesitancy were short clinical testing periods and concerns about adverse events or effectiveness. Vaccine hesitancy is mediated by many demographic factors and personal beliefs. To address vaccine-related concerns and amend deeply rooted health beliefs, communication should provide transparent information.



BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e049716
Author(s):  
Timothy D Dye ◽  
Monica Barbosu ◽  
Shazia Siddiqi ◽  
José G Pérez Ramos ◽  
Hannah Murphy ◽  
...  

BackgroundDeterminants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance are complex; how perceptions of the effectiveness of science, healthcare and government impact personal COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is unclear, despite all three domains providing critical roles in development, funding and provision, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.ObjectiveTo estimate impact of perception of science, healthcare systems, and government along with sociodemographic, psychosocial, and cultural characteristics on vaccine acceptance.DesignWe conducted a global nested analytical cross-sectional study of how the perceptions of healthcare, government and science systems have impacted COVID-19 on vaccine acceptance.SettingGlobal Facebook, Instagram and Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) users from 173 countries.Participants7411 people aged 18 years or over, and able to read English, Spanish, Italian, or French.MeasurementsWe used Χ2 analysis and logistic regression-derived adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs to evaluate the relationship between effectiveness perceptions and vaccine acceptance controlling for other factors. We used natural language processing and thematic analysis to analyse the role of vaccine-related narratives in open-ended explanations of effectiveness.ResultsAfter controlling for confounding, attitude toward science was a strong predictor of vaccine acceptance, more so than other attitudes, demographic, psychosocial or COVID-19-related variables (aOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.8 to 2.5). The rationale for science effectiveness was dominated by vaccine narratives, which were uncommon in other domains.LimitationsThis study did not include participants from countries where Facebook and Amazon mTurk are not available, and vaccine acceptance reflected intention rather than actual behaviour.ConclusionsAs our findings show, vaccine-related issues dominate public perception of science’s impact around COVID-19, and this perception of science relates strongly to the decision to obtain vaccination once available.



Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1127
Author(s):  
Loredana Sabina Cornelia Manolescu ◽  
Corneliu Nicolae Zaharia ◽  
Anca Irina Dumitrescu ◽  
Irina Prasacu ◽  
Mihaela Corina Radu ◽  
...  

Background: In December 2020, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Romania and were made available to medical and social staff. Vaccine hesitancy appeared as a barrier to effectively ending the pandemic. The opinions of medical and social staff influence the opinion of the general population. This study assesess the attitudes, knowledge, and opinion of medical and social personnel toward COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination and the influencing factors. Methods: 1025 persons participated in an online cross-sectional study from March until July 2021. Results: Out of 1021 eligible responders, 719 (70.42%) had been vaccinated: 227 with one dose (22.23%) and 492 with two doses (48.18%). There were 302 responders who were not vaccinated at all. Out of them, 188 refused vaccinations. The participants showed a good understanding and knowledge of SARScoV-2 transmission and treatment. Geographic area, medical profession, and medical experience influenced COVID-19 vaccination (p < 0.001). There were no associations between willingness to vaccinate and vaccine/virus knowledge. Most of the responders who were vaccinated or wanted to be vaccinated indicated an mRNA vaccine as their first choice. The variables that were significantly associated with reporting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance after logistic regression were: living in an urban area (Ora = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.98–2.56), being female (Ora = 1.59; 95% CI:1.03–2.44), and being a medical doctor (Ora = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.84–6.26). Conclusions: These findings show that vaccine hesitancy persists in medical and social personnel in Romania, and, hence, it may be reflected in the hesitancy of the general population toward vaccination.



2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S677-S677
Author(s):  
Marisa Orbea ◽  
Rachel Cunningham ◽  
C Mary Healy ◽  
Julie A Boom ◽  
Claire Bocchini

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy (VH) is hindering nationwide vaccination efforts; little is known about caregiver SARS-CoV-2 vaccine acceptance for children. We aimed to identify associations with SARS-CoV-2 VH in caregivers of hospitalized children. Methods We conducted a prospective cross-sectional survey in English and Spanish of caregiver COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and associated VH among hospitalized children 6 months - 18 years at a large pediatric medical institution. Parents were approached daily, averaging 4-5 days/week, from 12/8/2020--4/5/2021. VH was assessed using the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey; PACV score ≥50 denoted VH. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used. Responses were categorized. Results 295/307 (96%) of approached caregivers enrolled; 79% were ≥ 30 years, 68% were married/ living with a partner, and 57% had at least some college. 36% identified as white, 19% Black, and 46% Hispanic/ Latino. 53% of caregiver children had public insurance. 91% of caregivers self-reported their children were up to date with routine vaccines. 17% of caregivers were vaccine-hesitant overall. 50% of caregivers were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine themselves. Figure 1 shows intention to vaccinate their child by PACV score. 65% knew someone who was hospitalized for COVID-19. 67% were scared of their child getting COVID-19. However, 49% were scared of their child getting the vaccine, 28% did not want to vaccinate their child and 27% were neutral in the intention to vaccinate their child. Caregivers who did not intend to vaccinate their child were more likely to be Black (27% vs. 16%, p=0.04) and less likely to be Hispanic/ Latino (33% vs. 49%, p=0.02). Table 1 shows attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine in caregivers who did or did not intend to vaccinate their child. Figure 1 COVID-19 vaccine uptake by PACV score Table 1 Caregiver attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccine Conclusion The majority of caregivers believe that SARS-CoV-2 vaccine will help control the pandemic, but less than half plan to vaccinate their children. A quarter of caregivers expressed uncertainty regarding the vaccine and therefore may be amenable to education and discussion. COVID-19 VH is different from VH towards routine vaccinations. More research is needed to address COVID-19 specific VH. Disclosures C. Mary Healy, MD, Dexcom (Shareholder)Intuitive (Shareholder)Quidel Corporation (Shareholder)Up to Date (Other Financial or Material Support, Honorarium)Vapotherm (Shareholder)



2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽  
pp. 148-148
Author(s):  
Stacey A. Ingram ◽  
Nicole E. Caston ◽  
Courtney J. Andrews ◽  
Rebecca England ◽  
Courtney Williams ◽  
...  

148 Background: The World Health Organization cited vaccine hesitancy as one of 2019’s top ten threats to global health, a threat that has been further exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic. Existing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy research focuses on the general population, but less is known about the specific concerns of medically vulnerable populations, including individuals with cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data that assessed likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination (likely vs unlikely/unsure) among past or current patients with cancer from a nationwide survey administered in December 2020 by the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a non-profit organization that provides case management and financial aid to patients diagnosed with a chronic illness. Inclusion criteria included previous or current cancer treatment, aged ≥ 19, and a valid e-mail address. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and urban/rural residence were abstracted from the PAF database. Respondents self-reported education level, employment status, trust in media regarding COVID-19 pandemic, and media viewership on COVID-19 vaccine development. The Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale assessed respondents’ level of mistrust in medical providers based on ethnicity. Likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was evaluated using risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from modified Poisson regression models with robust error variance. All variables were included in our model. Results: Of 429 respondents, 48% were unlikely/unsure about accepting the COVID-19 vaccine, primarily due to concerns about vaccine safety (32%) and worry about health conditions (12%). When compared to those likely to accept COVID-19 vaccine, respondents who were unlikely/unsure were more often Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (40% vs. 23%), aged 36-55 (40% vs. 29%), and female (80% vs. 65%). In adjusted analysis, Black respondents were 55% less likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, when compared to White respondents (RR 0.55; 95% CI 0.4-0.8). When compared to those who did not follow the media regarding COVID-19 vaccine development, those who followed the media very closely were 4.5 times more likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine (RR 4.5; 95% CI 1.6-13.2). Respondents who reported below average trust in the media were 60% less likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine (RR 0.6; 95% CI 0.5-0.8), compared to those who reported above average trust in the media. Conclusions: Despite being at high risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, a substantial proportion of under-resourced individuals with cancer were unlikely/unsure about vaccination, exposing a significant disconnect between risk of severe disease and vaccine acceptance. Our analysis also reveals a need to assess for and debunk misinformation to increase vaccine enthusiasm among medically vulnerable populations.



2021 ◽  
pp. 12-14
Author(s):  
Monica Kalyanaraman ◽  
Parameswari Srijayanth ◽  
Srinivas Govindarajulu

Background: Coronavirus outbreak was a highly unpredicted global burden that caused millions of deaths across the world. Vaccination against the infection declines the morbidity and mortality rates. This study objective aims to determine the reasons for the vaccine acceptance. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted through an online survey among the people living in chennai, Tamilnadu. An E-survey Google forms are circulated through the social platforms and email. Excluding the non-response all the data gained was descriptively analyzed. Results: Out of total (n =376 ≥ 18 years) participants majority of them showed High acceptance and got already vaccinated whereas some revealed the fear of vaccine safety and risk effects. Vaccine hesitancy is seen in terms of lack of trust and proper awareness, myths about adverse effects. In addition our ndings positively convey the knowledge of effective preventive measures for infection and proper following of government guidelines. Conclusion: The study outcomes even though shows willingness of the people in receiving the vaccine at some point still a notable interruption is seen. Prioritization should be given to those critical areas to inuence the public perception about vaccine benets because now vaccination is the only essential measure to suppress the healthcare pressure which halts the covid 19 infection.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed amine Kerdoun ◽  
Hamza Abdellah Henni ◽  
Assia Yamoun ◽  
Amine Rahmani ◽  
Rym Messaouda Kerdoun ◽  
...  

Vaccine hesitancy is a limiting factor in global efforts to contain the current pandemic, wreaking havoc on public health. As today's students are tomorrow's doctors, it is critical to understand their attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. To our knowledge, this study was the first national one to look into the attitudes of Algerian medical students toward the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using an electronic convenience survey. 383 medical students from five Algerian universities were included, with a mean age of 21.02. 85.37% (n=327) of respondents had not taken the COVID-19 vaccine yet and were divided into three groups; the vaccine acceptance group (n=175, 53.51%), the vaccine-hesitant group (n=75, 22.93%), and the vaccine refusal group (n=77, 23.54%). Gender, age, education level, university, and previous experience with COVID-19 were not significant predictors for vaccine acceptance. The confirmed barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine concern available information, effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects. This work highlights the need for an educational strategy about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Medical students should be educated about the benefits of vaccination for themselves and their families and friends. The Vaccine acceptant students' influence should not be neglected with a possible ambassador role to hesitant and resistant students.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Fojnica ◽  
Ahmed Osmanovic ◽  
Nermin Đuzic ◽  
Armin Fejzic ◽  
Ensar Mekic ◽  
...  

AbstractBosnia and Herzegovina is among ten countries in the world with the highest mortality rate due to COVID-19 infection. Lack of lockdown, open borders, high mortality rate, no herd immunity, no vaccination plan, and strong domestic anti-vaccination movement present serious COVID-19 concerns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In such circumstances, we set out to study if the population is willing to receive the vaccine.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 10,471 adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess the attitude of participants toward COVID-19 vaccination. Using a logistic regression model, we assessed the associations of sociodemographic characteristics with vaccine rejection, reasons for vaccine hesitancy, preferred vaccine manufacturer, and information sources.Surprisingly, only 25.7% of respondents indicated they would like to get a COVID-19 vaccine, while 74.3% of respondents were either hesitant or completely rejected vaccination. The vaccine acceptance increased with increasing age, education, and income level. Major motivation of pro-vaccination behaviour was intention to achieve collective immunity (30.1%), while the leading incentive for vaccine refusal was deficiency of clinical data (30.2%). The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is shown to be eightfold more preferred vaccine compared to the other manufacturers. For the first time, vaccine acceptance among health care professionals has been reported, where only 39.4% of healthcare professionals expressed willingness to get vaccinated.With the high share of the population unwilling to vaccinate, governmental impotence in securing the vaccines supplies, combined with the lack of any lockdown measures suggests that Bosnia and Herzegovina is unlikely to put COVID-19 pandemic under control in near future.



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