Factors Associated with Intention to Receive Influenza and Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccines during Pregnancy: A Focus on Vaccine Hesitancy and Perceptions of Disease Severity and Vaccine Safety

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. Understanding factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines is the key to a successful vaccination programme. This cross-sectional study explored the rate of vaccination intention and identified its predictors using the health belief model (HBM) in the general population in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 via telephone surveys. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 1255 adults (>18 years, 53% female) completed the telephone survey. Overall, 42% indicated an intention to vaccinate, 31.5% showed vaccine hesitancy, and 26.5% reported refusal to receive any COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals who were men, older in age, working, with past experiences of other pandemics, less concerned with the vaccine safety, with poorer knowledge about COVID-19, and having greater levels of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, cues to action, and acceptance of governmental preventive measures related to COVID-19 were significantly more likely to report an intention to vaccinate. The low intention among the Hong Kong population reflects the importance of developing effective vaccination promotion campaigns with the predictors identified in this study.

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Willingness to receive future COVID-19 vaccines following the COVID-19 epidemic in Shanghai, China

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11174-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yehong Zhou ◽

Junjie Zhang ◽

Wenwen Wu ◽

Man Liang ◽

Qiang-Song Wu

Keyword(s):

Vaccine Safety ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Pharmacological Interventions ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

History Of ◽

Potential Factors ◽

To Receive

Abstract Background There are no pharmacological interventions currently available to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 or to treat COVID-19. The development of vaccines against COVID-19 is essential to contain the pandemic. we conducted a cross-sectional survey of Shanghai residents to understand residents’ willingness to be vaccinated with any future COVID-19 vaccines and take measures to further improve vaccination coverage. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey using self-administered anonymous questionnaires from 1 July to 8 September 2020. The main outcome was willingness of participants, and any children or older individuals living with them, to receive future COVID-19 vaccines. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore potential factors associated with vaccination willingness. Results A total of 1071 participants were asked about their willingness to receive future COVID-19 vaccines, for themselves and at least 747 children and 375 older individuals (≥60 years old) living with them. The highest proportion of expected willingness to vaccinate was among participants (88.6%), followed by children (85.3%) and older individuals (84.0%). The main reasons for reluctance to vaccinate among 119 participants were doubts regarding vaccine safety (60.0%) and efficacy (28.8%). Participants with a self-reported history of influenza vaccination were more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccines for themselves [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–2.82], their children (adjusted OR = 2.08; 95%CI: 1.30–3.33), and older individuals in their household (adjusted OR = 2.12; 95%CI: 1.14–3.99). Participants with older individuals in their families were less willing to vaccinate themselves (adjusted OR = 0.59; 95%CI: 0.40–0.87) and their children (adjusted OR = 0.58; 95%CI: 0.38–0.89). Conclusions Participants were more reluctant to accept COVID-19 vaccines for older individuals living with them. The presence of older individuals in the home also affected willingness of participants and their children to be vaccinated.

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Corowa-kun: Impact of a COVID-19 vaccine information chatbot on vaccine hesitancy, Japan 2021

10.1101/2021.05.26.21257854 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Takaaki Kobayashi ◽

Yuka Nishina ◽

Hana Tomoi ◽

Ko Harada ◽

Kyuto Tanaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Confidential Interval ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Factors Associated ◽

History Of ◽

Flu Vaccine ◽

Vaccine Information ◽

To Receive

Background: Few studies have assessed how mobile messenger apps affect COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We created a COVID-19 vaccine information chatbot in a popular messenger app in Japan to answer commonly asked questions. Methods: LINE is the most popular messenger app in Japan. Corowa-kun, a free chatbot, was created in LINE on February 6, 2021. Corowa-kun provides instant, automated answers to frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine questions. In addition, a cross-sectional survey assessing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was conducted via Corowa-kun during April 5 to 12, 2021. Results: A total of 59,676 persons used Corowa-kun during February to April 2021. Of them, 10,192 users (17%) participated in the survey. Median age was 55 years (range 16 to 97), and most were female (74%). Intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine increased from 59% to 80% after using Corowa-kun (p < 0.01). Overall, 20% remained hesitant: 16% (1,675) were unsure, and 4% (364) did not intend to be vaccinated. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy were: age 16 to 34 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 3.0-4.6, compared to age ≥ 65), female sex (OR = 2.4, Cl: 2.1-2.8), and history of another vaccine side-effect (OR = 2.5, Cl: 2.2-2.9). Being a physician (OR = 0.2, Cl: 0.1-0.4) and having received a flu vaccine the prior season (OR = 0.4, Cl: 0.3-0.4) were protective. Conclusions: Corowa-kun reduced vaccine hesitancy by providing COVID-19 vaccine information in a messenger app. Mobile messenger apps could be leveraged to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

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Attitudes and Intentions toward COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Professions Students and Faculty in Qatar

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9111275 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1275

Author(s):

Amine Zaidi ◽

Amal Elmasaad ◽

Hend Alobaidli ◽

Rana Sayed ◽

Dana Al-Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Health Professions ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Natural Immunity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

To Receive

A population’s desire to take the COVID-19 vaccine is an important predictor of a country’s future pandemic management. This cross-sectional study examines the impact of psychological and sociodemographic factors on attitudes toward and intentions to take the COVID-19 vaccine among students and faculty at four colleges of health professions and sciences at Qatar University. The data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms. The survey was distributed through various online platforms. Data analysis was conducted using Stata 16. Of the 364 participants, 9.89% expressed a high mistrust of vaccine safety, and 21.7% were uncertain about their levels of trust; 28% expressed strong worries about unforeseen side effects, whereas 54.95% expressed moderate worries. Furthermore, 7.69% expressed strong concerns and 39.84% showed moderate concerns about commercial profiteering. Approximately 13% of the participants expressed a strong preference towards natural immunity, whilst 45.33% appeared to believe that natural immunity might be better than a vaccine. Importantly, 68.13% of the participants intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it became available, compared to 17.03% who were uncertain and 14.83% who were unwilling to be vaccinated. Our findings differ from the data on vaccine hesitancy among the general population of Qatar. We argue that this gap is due to scientific knowledge and domain of education. Furthermore, although knowledge and awareness may affect vaccine attitudes, mental health and sociodemographic factors play a role in shaping attitudes towards vaccines.

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Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions in Eastern Zimbabwe: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9101109 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1109

Author(s):

Lauren McAbee ◽

Oscar Tapera ◽

Mufaro Kanyangarara

Keyword(s):

Herd Immunity ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

World Health ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Attitudes And Behaviors ◽

And Behaviors

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health strategies to protect against infectious diseases, yet vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a global health threat. Understanding COVID-19 knowledge and attitudes and their association with vaccine intentions can help the targeting of strategies to increase vaccination uptake and achieve herd immunity. The goal of this study was to assess COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, and identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions among heads of households in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in May 2021 among 551 randomly selected households. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding COVID-19 and the vaccines. More than half (55.7%) of the respondents reported intending to vaccinate themselves or their households. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that the likelihood of vaccine intentions was most strongly associated with confidence in vaccine safety. Additionally, the odds of intending to get vaccinated were significantly higher among heads of households who were male, had a higher level of education, and identified vaccination and face mask usage as prevention measures. Among perceived motivators to vaccinate, recommendations from the World Health Organization and availability of the vaccine free of charge increased the likelihood of vaccine intentions, while country of vaccine manufacturer posed a barrier to vaccine intentions. As the vaccine rollout in Zimbabwe continues, efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage and achieve herd immunity should target females and less educated populations and be tailored to address concerns about vaccine safety and country of manufacturer.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions and Differences by Sex, Age, and Education in 1,367 Community Adults in Ontario

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.719665 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Sabrina K. Syan ◽

Mahmood R. Gohari ◽

Emily E. Levitt ◽

Kyla Belisario ◽

Jessica Gillard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Bachelor's Degree ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Online Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

To Receive

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic and vaccination efforts may be impeded by vaccine hesitancy. The present study examined willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the associated reasons for willingness/unwillingness, and vaccine safety perceptions in a cross-sectional assessment of community adults in Ontario.Methods: One thousand three hundred sixty seven individuals (60.6% female, mean age = 37.5%) participated in this study between January 15, 2021 and February 15, 2021. Perceptions of vaccine safety and reasons for willingness/unwillingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were investigated using an online assessment. Perceptions were investigated in general and by age, sex and education using analysis of variance.Results: Overall, 82.8% of the sample reported they were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 17.2% reported they were unwilling. The three most common reasons for unwillingness were long-term side effects (65.5%), immediate side effects (60.5%), and lack of trust in the vaccine (55.2%). Vaccine willingness significantly differed by sex and education level, with female participants and those with less than a bachelor's degree being more likely to report unwillingness. Perception of COVID-19 vaccine safety was significantly lower (−10.3%) than vaccines in general and differed by age, sex and education, with females, older adults, and individuals with less than a bachelor's degree reporting lower perceived COVID-19 vaccine safety.Conclusion: In this sample of community adults, the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate was less than one in five individuals, but with higher rates in population subgroups. Targeting public health messaging to females and individuals with less than bachelor's degree, and addressing concerns about long-term and immediate side effects may increase vaccine uptake.

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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa: A scoping review

10.21203/rs.3.rs-759005/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Betty B. B. Ackah ◽

Michael Woo ◽

Ugochinyere Vivian Ukah ◽

Zahra A. Fazal ◽

Lisa Stallwood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Conflicting Information ◽

Study Characteristics ◽

Pharmaceutical Industries ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Vaccination against the novel coronavirus is one of the most effective strategies for combating the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy has however emerged as a major obstacle in several regions of the world, including Africa.Objective: To rapidly summarize the literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa.Methods: We searched OVID Medline, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and African Index Medicus for studies published from January 1, 2020, to July 5, 2021, examining acceptance or hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. Information on study characteristics study participants’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine were extracted from the included articles. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy or uptake were grouped as themes and summarized.Results: A total of 16 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Majority of the studies were conducted in Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo. Studies conducted in Ghana, Somalia, Uganda, Benin, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Ethiopia, and South Africa were also included in the review. The vaccine acceptance rate ranged from 15.4 to 88.8 %. The major reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns with vaccine safety and side effects, lack of trust for pharmaceutical industries and vaccination trials, and misinformation or conflicting information from the media. Factors associated with positive attitudes towards the vaccine included being male, having a higher level of education, and fear of contracting the virus.Conclusion: Our review provides important considerations for addressing the challenge of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and blunting the impact of the pandemic in Africa.

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Factors indicating intention to vaccinate with a COVID-19 vaccine among older U.S. Adults

10.1101/2021.01.10.20248831 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Janeta Nikolovski ◽

Martin Koldijk ◽

Gerrit Jan Weverling ◽

John Spertus ◽

Mintu Turakhia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Study ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Health Providers ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Random Forest Classification ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Link Type ◽

To Receive

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe success of vaccination efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic will require broad public uptake of immunization and highlights the importance of understanding factors associated with willingness to receive a vaccine.METHODSAdults enrolled in the Heartline™ clinical study were invited to complete a COVID-19 vaccine assessment through the Heartline™ mobile application between November 6-20, 2020. Factors associated with willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine were evaluated using an ordered logistic regression as well as a Random Forest classification algorithm.RESULTSAmong 9,106 study participants, 81.3% (n=7402) responded and had available demographic data. The majority (91.3%) reported a willingness to be vaccinated. Factors most strongly associated with vaccine willingness were beliefs about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general. Women and Black or African American respondents reported lower willingness to vaccinate. Among those less willing to get vaccinated, 66.2% said that they would talk with their health provider before making a decision. During the study, positive results from the first COVID-19 vaccine outcome study were released; vaccine willingness increased after this report.CONCLUSIONSEven among older adults at high-risk for COVID-19 complications who are participating in a longitudinal clinical study, 1 in 11 reported lack of willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine in November 2020. Variability in vaccine willingness by gender, race, education, and income suggests the potential for uneven vaccine uptake. Education by health providers directed toward assuaging concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy can help improve vaccine acceptance among those less willing.Clinicaltrials.govNCT04276441

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Factors indicating intention to vaccinate with a COVID-19 vaccine among older U.S. adults

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0251963 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0251963

Author(s):

Janeta Nikolovski ◽

Martin Koldijk ◽

Gerrit Jan Weverling ◽

John Spertus ◽

Mintu Turakhia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Study ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Health Providers ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Random Forest Classification ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Forest Classification ◽

To Receive

Background The success of vaccination efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic will require broad public uptake of immunization and highlights the importance of understanding factors associated with willingness to receive a vaccine. Methods U.S. adults aged 65 and older enrolled in the HeartlineTM clinical study were invited to complete a COVID-19 vaccine assessment through the HeartlineTM mobile application between November 6–20, 2020. Factors associated with willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine were evaluated using an ordered logistic regression as well as a Random Forest classification algorithm. Results Among 9,106 study participants, 81.3% (n = 7402) responded and had available demographic data. The majority (91.3%) reported a willingness to be vaccinated. Factors most strongly associated with vaccine willingness were beliefs about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general. Women and Black or African American respondents reported lower willingness to vaccinate. Among those less willing to get vaccinated, 66.2% said that they would talk with their health provider before making a decision. During the study, positive results from the first COVID-19 vaccine outcome study were released; vaccine willingness increased after this report. Conclusions Even among older adults at high-risk for COVID-19 complications who are participating in a longitudinal clinical study, 1 in 11 reported lack of willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine in November 2020. Variability in vaccine willingness by gender, race, education, and income suggests the potential for uneven vaccine uptake. Education by health providers directed toward assuaging concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy can help improve vaccine acceptance among those less willing. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04276441.

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The Relationship between US Adults’ Misconceptions about COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination Preferences

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9080901 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 901

Author(s):

Sarah E. Kreps ◽

Jillian L. Goldfarb ◽

John S. Brownstein ◽

Douglas L. Kriner

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

The United States ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Representative Survey ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Relationship ◽

Sizeable Minority

While mass vaccination has blunted the pandemic in the United States, pockets of vaccine hesitancy remain. Through a nationally representative survey of 1027 adult Americans conducted in February 2021, this study examined individual misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccine safety; the demographic factors associated with these misconceptions; and the relationship between misconceptions and willingness to vaccinate. Misconceptions about vaccine safety were widespread. A sizeable minority (40%) believed that vaccine side effects are commonly severe or somewhat severe; 85% significantly underestimated the size and scale of the clinical trials; and a sizeable share believed either that the vaccines contain live coronavirus (10%) or were unsure (38%), a proxy for fears that vaccination itself may cause infection. These misconceptions were particularly acute among Republicans, Blacks, individuals with lower levels of educational attainment, and unvaccinated individuals. Perceived side effect severity and underestimating the size of the clinical trials were both significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy.

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