Evaluating Rates and Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy for Adults and Children in the Singapore Population: Strengthening Our Community’s Resilience against Threats from Emerging Infections (SOCRATEs) Cohort

COVID-19 vaccines are crucial for achieving sufficient immunisation coverage to manage the pandemic, but vaccine hesitancy persists. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and determinants of vaccine hesitancy in adults and in parents for vaccinating their children using an integrated social cognition model. A community-based cohort in Singapore [N = 1623] completed a survey (wave 25) between June and July 2021 which measured their risk perceptions, distress, trust, vaccination beliefs, and vaccine intentions/behaviours. Results indicated low rates of hesitancy (9.9%) for own vaccination, with most concerns citing side effects, safety, and hasty development. Remaining respondents were vaccinated (69%) or intended to vaccinate (21%). The multivariable model (non-vaccinated respondents) indicated that, living with people in poor health, subjective norm, moral norm, benefits, and necessity of vaccination were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy (R2 Cox & Snell: 51.4% p < 0.001). Hesitancy rates were higher for children’s vaccination (15.9%), with male gender, lower perceived vaccine benefits, high COVID-19 risk perceptions, vaccination concerns, and necessity beliefs associated with higher odds of parental vaccine hesitancy (R2 Cox & Snell = 36.4%; p < 0.001). While levels of vaccine acceptance are high, more targeted messages are needed. For adults’ vaccination, more emphasis should be on benefits and social gains, while for parental hesitancy, messages related to safety should be prioritised.

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Among sheeples and antivaxxers: Social media responses to COVID-19 vaccine news posted by Canadian news organizations, and recommendations to counter vaccine hesitancy

Canada Communicable Disease Report ◽

10.14745/ccdr.v47i12a03 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 47 (12) ◽

pp. 524-533

Author(s):

Lisa Tang ◽

Sabrina Douglas ◽

Amar Laila

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Conspiracy Theories ◽

Public Health Initiative ◽

News Organizations ◽

Subjective Risk

Background: To create a successful public health initiative that counters vaccine hesitancy and promotes vaccine acceptance, it is essential to gain a strong understanding of the beliefs, attitudes and subjective risk perceptions of the population. Methods: A qualitative analysis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine discourse from 3,731 social media posts on the Twitter and Facebook accounts of six Canadian news organizations was used to identify the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and intentions of Canadian news organizations’ social media commenters toward taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Four main themes were identified: 1) COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy concerns; 2) conspiracy theories stemming from mistrust in government and other organizations; 3) a COVID-19 vaccine is unnecessary because the virus is not dangerous; and 4) trust in COVID-19 vaccines as a safe solution. Based on themes and subthemes, several key communication recommendations were developed for promotion of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, including infographics championed by Public Health that highlight the benefits of the vaccine for those who have received it, public education about the contents and safety of the vaccine and eliciting an emotional connection through personal stories of those impacted by COVID-19. Conclusion: Specific considerations, such as leveraging the public’s trust in healthcare professionals to act as a liaison between Public Health and the Canadian public to communicate the benefits of the vaccine against COVID-19 and its variants, may help reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

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Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9030300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 300

Author(s):

Patricia Soares ◽

João Victor Rocha ◽

Marta Moniz ◽

Ana Gama ◽

Pedro Almeida Laires ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Multinomial Regression ◽

Community Based ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Perceived Safety ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Flu Vaccine ◽

Release Of Information

It is critical to develop tailored strategies to increase acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine and decrease hesitancy. Hence, this study aims to assess and identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Portugal. We used data from a community-based survey, “COVID-19 Barometer: Social Opinion”, which includes data regarding intention to take COVID-19 vaccines, health status, and risk perception in Portugal from September 2020 to January 2021. We used multinomial regression to identify factors associated with intention to delay or refuse to take COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Portugal was high: 56% would wait and 9% refuse. Several factors were associated with both refusal and delay: being younger, loss of income during the pandemic, no intention of taking the flu vaccine, low confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and the health service response during the pandemic, worse perception of government measures, perception of the information provided as inconsistent and contradictory, and answering the questionnaire before the release of information regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. It is crucial to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine as its perceived safety and efficacy were strongly associated with intention to take the vaccine. Governments and health authorities should improve communication and increase trust.

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Real-World Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines among Healthcare Workers in Perinatal Medicine in China

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070704 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 704

Author(s):

Biyun Xu ◽

Xuelian Gao ◽

Xinyue Zhang ◽

Yali Hu ◽

Huixia Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Real World ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Present Survey ◽

Perinatal Medicine ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Questionnaire Online ◽

Convincing Data

Surveys showed that vaccine hesitancy may influence the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population. Currently, the actual acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs has rarely been reported. In the present survey, we investigated the real-world acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs in perinatal medicine during the first three-month period of vaccination in China and to identify the main reason for the decline of vaccination. HCWs (1087) who participated in a Chinese national symposium on perinatal medicine during 16–18 April 2021 were invited to answer a 27-question questionnaire online. A total of 1051 HCWs completed the questionnaire. Of them, 86.2% (906/1051) accepted the COVID-19 vaccination and 13.8% (145/1051) declined the vaccination. Because of the vaccine hesitancy, one-fourth of the vaccinated participants did not accept the vaccination until consulted with others or requested by employers. The main reason for the decline of vaccination in 145 unvaccinated HCWs was the concern about vaccine safety. The results indicate that vaccination request by employers may promote vaccine acceptance. More convincing data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines appears to be important to increase the acceptance of vaccination.

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Attitudes toward the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: Results from the Saudi Residents’ Intention to Get Vaccinated against COVID-19 (SRIGVAC) Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070798 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 798

Author(s):

Sami H. Alzahrani ◽

Mukhtiar Baig ◽

Mohammed W. Alrabia ◽

Mohammed R. Algethami ◽

Meshari M. Alhamdan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Beliefs ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Relative Risk Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Web Based

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.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Worldwide: A Concise Systematic Review of Vaccine Acceptance Rates

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9020160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 160

Author(s):

Malik Sallam

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

General Public ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Decisive Role ◽

Initial Step ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Republic Of The Congo ◽

Acceptance Rates

Utility of vaccine campaigns to control coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) is not merely dependent on vaccine efficacy and safety. Vaccine acceptance among the general public and healthcare workers appears to have a decisive role in the successful control of the pandemic. The aim of this review was to provide an up-to-date assessment of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rates worldwide. A systematic search of the peer-reviewed English survey literature indexed in PubMed was done on 25 December 2020. Results from 31 peer-reviewed published studies met the inclusion criteria and formed the basis for the final COVID-19 vaccine acceptance estimates. Survey studies on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates were found from 33 different countries. Among adults representing the general public, the highest COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates were found in Ecuador (97.0%), Malaysia (94.3%), Indonesia (93.3%) and China (91.3%). However, the lowest COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates were found in Kuwait (23.6%), Jordan (28.4%), Italy (53.7), Russia (54.9%), Poland (56.3%), US (56.9%), and France (58.9%). Only eight surveys among healthcare workers (doctors and nurses) were found, with vaccine acceptance rates ranging from 27.7% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 78.1% in Israel. In the majority of survey studies among the general public stratified per country (29/47, 62%), the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination showed a level of ≥70%. Low rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were reported in the Middle East, Russia, Africa and several European countries. This could represent a major problem in the global efforts to control the current COVID-19 pandemic. More studies are recommended to address the scope of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Such studies are particularly needed in the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle and South America. Addressing the scope of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in various countries is recommended as an initial step for building trust in COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

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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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Using community-based, ethnographic methods to examine risk perceptions and actions of low-income, first-time mothers in a post-spill environment

Journal of Risk Research ◽

10.1080/13669877.2016.1200656 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 308-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christopher A. Mundorf ◽

Maureen Y. Lichtveld

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Ethnographic Methods ◽

Community Based ◽

First Time Mothers ◽

First Time

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Dengue vaccine acceptance and associated factors in Indonesia: A community-based cross-sectional survey in Aceh

Vaccine ◽

10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.05.026 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 34 (32) ◽

pp. 3670-3675 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Harapan Harapan ◽

Samsul Anwar ◽

Abdul Malik Setiawan ◽

R. Tedjo Sasmono

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Dengue Vaccine ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance

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EXPLORING COVID-19 VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AND HESITANCY DETERMINANTS

Pakistan Journal of Social Research ◽

10.52567/pjsr.v3i01.189 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 03 (01) ◽

pp. 80-91

Author(s):

Tauheed Zahra ◽

◽

Farhan Ahmad Faiz ◽

Farrah Ahmed ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Educational Background ◽

Vital Role ◽

World Health ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Social Worlds ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Low Middle Income Countries ◽

Health Organization

The World Health Organization recognizes vaccine related myths and conspiracies as the world's top threat to public health safety, particularly in low middle-income countries. The current study aims to explore the beliefs of the general public towards the vaccine acceptance and the hesitancy. The study explicates the COVID 19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy determinants through an in-depth qualitative approach. A total of 30 male and female millennials from different education backgrounds were interviewed through an interview guide. This study reveals that people have different beliefs related to the vaccine authenticity which plays a vital role in the reluctance towards it. Findings from paper is similar to literature that people from good educational background have similar thoughts towards COVID 19 vaccination. Disregard for the vaccine was caused by various factors, such as misinformation, safety concerns, and personal knowledge. This level of distrust was associated with the social worlds that participants experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a complex relationship that involves the spread of misinformation. Vaccine programs should provide a focused, localized, and empathetic response to counter misinformation. Keywords: COVID-19, vaccines, myths, hesitancy, vaccines awareness, pandemic, conspiracy, corona virus

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COVID-19 vaccine demand, hesitancy, and nationalism: a case of protection motivation behavior in Bangladesh

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ◽

10.3855/jidc.15029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. 1388-1395

Author(s):

Mostafizur Rahman ◽

Afnan Hossain ◽

Abu Sufian ◽

Nahida Anwar

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Protection Motivation ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Chi Square ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

Behavioral Studies ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Specific Health

Introduction: Immunization, as a process of fighting against the COVID-19, has gained important research appeal, but very limited endeavor has been paid for vaccine behavioral studies in underdeveloped and developing countries. This study explores the vaccine demand, hesitancy, and nationalism as well as vaccine acceptance and domestic vaccine preference among young adults in Bangladesh. Methodology: This quantitative study followed the snowball sampling technique and collected responses from 1,018 individuals from various social media platforms. The analysis covered both descriptive and inferential statistics including chi-square, F-statistic, and logistic regression. Results: The findings of the fully-adjusted regression model suggest that the individuals who had more vaccine demand were 3.29 times (95% confidence interval = 2.39-4.54; p < 0.001) higher to accept vaccine compared to those who had no vaccine demand. Conversely, vaccine hesitancy was negatively associated with vaccine acceptance. Here, the odds ratio was found 0.70 (95% confidence interval = 0.62-0.80; p < 0.001), which means that those who had higher vaccine hesitancy were about 30% less likely to accept vaccines than those who had no hesitancy. In addition, the persons who had vaccine nationalism were 1.75 times (95% confidence interval = 1.62-1.88; p < 0.001) more prone to prefer domestic vaccine. Conclusions: This study suggests that policymakers may take initiatives for making people aware and knowledgeable about the severity and vulnerability to specific health threats. In this concern, perception and efficacy-increasing programs may take part in increasing protection motivation behaviors like vaccine acceptance and (domestic) vaccine preference.

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