COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy assessment among the educated Indian population: An online survey

This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.

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Willingness of Black and White Adults to Accept Vaccines in Development: An Exploratory Study Using National Survey Data

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117120979918 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089011712097991

Author(s):

Sandra Crouse Quinn ◽

Yuki Lama ◽

Amelia Jamison ◽

Vicki Freimuth ◽

Veeraj Shah

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Social Science Research ◽

Science Research ◽

Chronic Health Condition ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Black And White ◽

Vaccine Type ◽

Vaccine Confidence

Purpose: Explore acceptability of vaccines in development: cancer, Type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease, Ebola, and obesity. Research questions: To what extent does acceptability vary by vaccine type? To what extent does acceptability of vaccines in development vary by race and other key demographics? To what extent are general vaccine hesitancy and key demographics associated with acceptability of vaccines in development? Design: Cross-sectional online survey administered through GfK’s KnowledgePanel in 2015. Analysis completed in 2020. Subjects: Nationally representative sample of Black and White American adults (n = 1,643). Measures: Willingness to accept a novel vaccine was measured on a 4-point Likert scale. Independent variables included demographics (e.g. age, race, gender) and measures of vaccine hesitancy, trust, and the “Three C’s” of vaccine confidence, complacency, and convenience. Analysis: Exploratory analysis including descriptive statistics and regression modeling. Results: Acceptability varied from 77% for a cancer vaccine to 55% for an obesity vaccine. White race, male gender, older age, having a chronic health condition, and higher socioeconomic status were associated with higher acceptability. Higher vaccine confidence and lower vaccine hesitancy were predictors for acceptability. Conclusion: The success of a vaccine depends on widespread public acceptance. Vaccine hesitancy may hinder acceptance of future vaccines, with significant differences by demographics. Future social science research is necessary to better understand and address vaccine hesitancy.

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Would Parents Get Their Children Vaccinated Against SARS-CoV-2? Rate and Predictors of Vaccine Hesitancy According to a Survey over 5000 Families from Bologna, Italy

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9040366 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 366

Author(s):

Marco Montalti ◽

Flavia Rallo ◽

Federica Guaraldi ◽

Lapo Bartoli ◽

Giulia Po ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Herd Immunity ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Web Based ◽

Safe School ◽

Efficacy Trials ◽

Adolescent Vaccination ◽

Web Social ◽

Mandatory Vaccination

In the near future, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials in larger cohorts may offer the possibility to implement child and adolescent vaccination. The opening of the vaccination for these strata may play a key role in order to limit virus circulation, infection spreading towards the most vulnerable subjects, and plan safe school reopening. Vaccine hesitancy (VH) could limit the ability to reach the coverage threshold required to ensure herd immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and determinants of VH among parents/guardians toward a potentially available COVID-19 vaccination for children and adolescents. An online survey was performed in parents/guardians of children aged <18 years old, living in Bologna. Overall, 5054 questionnaires were collected. A vast majority (60.4%) of the parents/guardians were inclined to vaccinate, while 29.6% were still considering the opportunity, and 9.9% were hesitant. Highest vaccine hesitancy rates were detected in female parents/guardians of children aged 6–10 years, ≤29 years old, with low educational level, relying on information found in the web/social media, and disliking mandatory vaccination policies. Although preliminary, these data could help in designing target strategies to implement adherence to a vaccination campaign, with special regard to web-based information.

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Prevalence and Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy and Vaccines Recommendation Discrepancies among General Practitioners in French-Speaking Parts of Belgium

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070771 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 771

Author(s):

Cathy Gobert ◽

Pascal Semaille ◽

Thierry Van der Schueren ◽

Pierre Verger ◽

Nicolas Dauby

Keyword(s):

General Practitioners ◽

Online Survey ◽

Critical Role ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Patient Acceptance ◽

Recent Experience ◽

Average Percentage ◽

Vaccine Recommendations ◽

Increased Risk

General practitioners (GPs) play a critical role in patient acceptance of vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a growing phenomenon in the general population but also affects GPs. Few data exist on VH among GPs. The objectives of this analysis of a population of GPs in the Belgian Wallonia-Brussels Federation (WBF) were to: (1) determine the prevalence and the features of VH, (2) identify the correlates, and (3) estimate the discrepancy in vaccination’s behaviors between the GPs’ children and the recommendations made to their patients. An online survey was carried out among the population of general practitioners practicing in the WBF between 7 January and 18 March 2020. A hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out based on various dimensions of vaccine hesitancy: perception of the risks and the usefulness of vaccines as well as vaccine recommendations for their patients. A total of 251 GPs answered the survey. The average percentage of moderate to high vaccine hesitancy was 50.6%. Three factors were independently associated with increased risk of vaccine hesitancy: an age <50 years old, having no children, and having no contact with selected vaccine-preventable disease (measles, complicated influenza, chronic hepatitis B (HBV), bacterial meningitis, or cervical cancer) in the past 5 years. VH was associated with controversies on vaccines’ safety. GPs who had vaccinated their children against six diseases (MMR, meningococcus C (MenC), HBV, and HPV) tended not to recommend the same vaccines to their patients. Among GPs with all children vaccinated against HBV, only 37.5% recommended catch-up HBV immunization to their patients. In this small cohort of GP, moderate to high VH was associated with controversies on vaccines’ safety and with specific personal characteristics (age <50, no children, and no recent experience with a serious VPD). As previously reported, GPs have different vaccine prescription attitude toward their patients and children. These findings should be confirmed in larger cohorts.

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Intention to Be Vaccinated for COVID-19 among Italian Nurses during the Pandemic

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050500 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 500

Author(s):

Marco Trabucco Aurilio ◽

Francesco Saverio Mennini ◽

Simone Gazzillo ◽

Laura Massini ◽

Matteo Bolcato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vaccine Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Vaccine Coverage ◽

World Health ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Female Sex

Background: While the COVID-19 pandemic has spread globally, health systems are overwhelmed by both direct and indirect mortality from other treatable conditions. COVID-19 vaccination was crucial to preventing and eliminating the disease, so vaccine development for COVID-19 was fast-tracked worldwide. Despite the fact that vaccination is commonly recognized as the most effective approach, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccine hesitancy is a global health issue. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of nurses in four different regions in Italy between 20 and 28 December 2020 to obtain data on the acceptance of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination in order to plan specific interventions to increase the rate of vaccine coverage. Results: A total of 531 out of the 5000 nurses invited completed the online questionnaire. Most of the nurses enrolled in the study (73.4%) were female. Among the nurses, 91.5% intended to accept vaccination, whereas 2.3% were opposed and 6.2% were undecided. Female sex and confidence in vaccine efficacy represent the main predictors of vaccine intention among the study population using a logistic regression model, while other factors including vaccine safety concerns (side effects) were non-significant. Conclusions: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, intention to be vaccinated was suboptimal among nurses in our sample. We also found a significant number of people undecided as to whether to accept the vaccine. Contrary to expectations, concerns about the safety of the vaccine were not found to affect the acceptance rate; nurses’ perception of vaccine efficacy and female sex were the main influencing factors on attitudes toward vaccination in our sample. Since the success of the COVID-19 immunization plan depends on the uptake rate, these findings are of great interest for public health policies. Interventions aimed at increasing employee awareness of vaccination efficacy should be promoted among nurses in order to increase the number of vaccinated people.

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Factors Influencing SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy in a Population-Based Sample in Italy

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 633

Author(s):

Marco Del Riccio ◽

Sara Boccalini ◽

Lisa Rigon ◽

Massimiliano Alberto Biamonte ◽

Giuseppe Albora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Herd Immunity ◽

Population Based ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Major Barrier ◽

Trust In Institutions ◽

General Adult Population ◽

High Level

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 represents an effective and safe tool to protect the population against the disease; however, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy could be a major barrier to achieving herd immunity. Despite the severity of the current pandemic, the population’s intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is still not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 among a convenience sample of the general population resident in Italy and the factors associated with hesitancy and acceptance of the vaccine in the context of the current pandemic before the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines. An anonymous online survey was diffused among a general adult population living in Italy. Participants aged 18 or older and living in Italy were considered eligible. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Overall, 7605 valid questionnaires were collected. Most of the participants (81.9%) were inclined to get vaccinated; male sex (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.71), a high level of trust in institutions (OR 3.93, 95% CI 2.04–7.83), and personal beliefs about high safety of COVID-19 vaccines (OR 56.33, 95% CI 31.57–105.87) were found to be among the significant predictors of COVID-19 acceptance. These data could help design larger studies to address the problem of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the current pandemic.

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Low COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Is Correlated with Conspiracy Beliefs among University Students in Jordan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052407 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2407

Author(s):

Malik Sallam ◽

Deema Dababseh ◽

Huda Eid ◽

Hanan Hasan ◽

Duaa Taim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Awareness Campaigns ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Conspiracy Beliefs ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

A Chain

Vaccination to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a promising measure to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic. Since university students could be considered a knowledgeable group, this study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among this group in Jordan. Additionally, we aimed to examine the association between vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. We used an online survey conducted in January 2021 with a chain-referral sampling approach. Conspiracy beliefs were evaluated using the validated Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Scale (VCBS), with higher scores implying embrace of conspiracies. A total of 1106 respondents completed the survey with female predominance (n = 802, 72.5%). The intention to get COVID-19 vaccines was low: 34.9% (yes) compared to 39.6% (no) and 25.5% (maybe). Higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were seen among males (42.1%) and students at Health Schools (43.5%). A Low rate of influenza vaccine acceptance was seen as well (28.8%), in addition to 18.6% of respondents being anti-vaccination altogether. A significantly higher VCBS score was correlated with reluctance to get the vaccine (p < 0.001). Dependence on social media platforms was significantly associated with lower intention to get COVID-19 vaccines (19.8%) compared to dependence on medical doctors, scientists, and scientific journals (47.2%, p < 0.001). The results of this study showed the high prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its association with conspiracy beliefs among university students in Jordan. The implementation of targeted actions to increase the awareness of such a group is highly recommended. This includes educational programs to dismantle vaccine conspiracy beliefs and awareness campaigns to build recognition of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

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Adenovirus and RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ perceptions and acceptance among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia: a national survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048586 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e048586

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Mazin Barry ◽

Fadi Aljamaan ◽

Abdullah Alhuzaimi ◽

Ayman Al-Eyadhy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Vectored Vaccine ◽

To Receive

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the perception, confidence, hesitancy and acceptance rate of various COVID-19 vaccine types among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia, a nation with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus experience.DesignNational cross-sectional, pilot-validated questionnaire.SettingOnline, self-administered questionnaire among HCWs.ParticipantsA total of 2007 HCWs working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated; 1512 (75.3%) participants completed the survey and were included in the analysis.InterventionData were collected through an online survey sent to HCWs during 1–15 November 2020. The main outcome measure was HCW acceptance of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. The associated factors of vaccination acceptance were identified through a logistic regression analysis and via measurement of the level of anxiety, using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scale.ResultsAmong the 1512 HCWs who were included, 62.4% were women, 70.3% were between 21 and 40 years of age, and the majority (62.2%) were from tertiary hospitals. In addition, 59.5% reported knowing about at least one vaccine; 24.4% of the participants were sure about their willingness to receive the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, and 20.9% were willing to receive the RNA BNT162b2 vaccine. However, 18.3% reported that they would refuse to receive the Ad5-vectored vaccine, and 17.9% would refuse the Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine. Factors that influenced the differential readiness of HCWs included their perceptions of the vaccine’s efficiency in preventing the infection (33%), their personal preferences (29%) and the vaccine’s manufacturing country (28.6%).ConclusionsAwareness by HCWs of the several COVID-19 candidate vaccines could improve their perceptions and acceptance of vaccination. Reliable sources on vaccine efficiency could improve vaccine uptake, so healthcare authorities should use reliable information to decrease vaccine hesitancy among frontline healthcare providers.

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The effect of Health Literacy on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The Moderating Role of Stress

10.1101/2021.06.16.21258808 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fan Zhang ◽

Huiqiao Zhang ◽

Yue Li ◽

Sihui Peng ◽

Yue Jiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

High Stress ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

The People ◽

Different Populations ◽

Promotion Strategies ◽

High Level ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract Background The COVID-19 vaccine is an essential means to establish group immunity and prevent the spread of the pandemic. However, the public's hesitation has created major difficulties to the promotion of the vaccine. By investigating the relationship between health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, as well as the potential moderating role of stress, the present study would provide critical insights for tailoring vaccine-promotion strategies. Objective The two-fold research purpose is: i) address the effect of health literacy on people's attitude toward COVID-19 vaccine, ii) clarify the role of stress in this effect. Method With structured questionnaires, an online survey was conducted to evaluate general public's COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, health literacy, and perceived stress. In total, 560 responses were collected, and moderated regression analysis was conducted to test the effect of health literacy on vaccine hesitancy among people with different levels of stress. Results A total of 560 participants aged over 18 years were included in this study. About 39.8% of the respondents reported vaccine hesitancy, and this rate is higher among those aged 20-30 years old (83%) and female (71.3%). The results showed people with higher level of health literacy are less likely to have vaccine hesitancy . However, this effect was only among those with lower to moderate level of stress , among the people with high stress, no significant effect of health literacy was found . Conclusions By focusing on the effect of health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, the findings showed education program increasing individual's health literacy may also effectively reduce the public's vaccine hesitancy and promote accepting attitude. However, for people with high level of stress, other health programs need to be developed to enhance their positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine. In conclusion, promotion strategies should be tailored for different populations, with considering individual factors such as health literacy and stress. Keywords vaccine hesitancy; health literacy; stress; moderation

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DETERMINANTS OF COVID-19 VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AMONG THE GENERAL ADULT POPULATION IN CHENNAI – A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY

10.36106/gjra/3908527 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 12-14

Author(s):

Monica Kalyanaraman ◽

Parameswari Srijayanth ◽

Srinivas Govindarajulu

Keyword(s):

Public Perception ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Total N ◽

Study Objective ◽

The People

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.

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