Abstract
Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine will play a crucial role in combating the current pandemic. Vaccine rollouts have started in most countries. To reach the desirable vaccine coverage and to enhance its uptake, it is imperative to assess vaccine hesitancy. Methods: To assess the current vaccine acceptability in Austria and its influencing factors, an online survey was created and comprised fifteen questions segmented into a sociodemographic part and the acceptance and influencing factors of the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: In total, 70% of the 1350 respondents thought that the COVID-19 vaccine is an effective way to prevent and control the virus, while 13% disagreed and 17% were uncertain. Further, 71% approved the rapid development and rollout of the vaccine, while 55% were willing to accept the vaccine as soon as it became available, 18% did not want to get the vaccine, 17% wanted to delay, and 10% were already vaccinated. Conclusions: The results show a generally positive attitude towards the new COVID-19 vaccine. The doctor’s recommendation greatly influences the decision-making process, and tailored vaccine information can support a higher vaccine coverage.
Highlights
As of 8 April 2021, Austria had 568,916 registered cases of COVID-19 with 9586 deaths, while 525,682 people have fully recovered and 2516 people are currently hospitalized, with 578 being treated in intensive units
The results show that most people who wanted to accept the vaccine as soon as possible (53.7%) were tertiary educated, and 67.4% of those who already received their vaccine belonged to the higher education level
Significantly relevant outcomes show that participants with secondary education and aged 35–50 years old were less likely to accept the vaccine
Summary
As of 8 April 2021, Austria had 568,916 registered cases of COVID-19 with 9586 deaths, while 525,682 people have fully recovered and 2516 people are currently hospitalized, with 578 being treated in intensive units. Austria was one of the first countries reporting COVID19 cases, and complete lockdown measures were implemented in Austria for six weeks between 16 March and 25 April 2020, and again in December 2020 through to 8 February 2021. The current uptake in Austria stands at 20.96 doses of vaccine for every 100 people, which equals vaccination participation of 20% and ranks the country far behind states like Israel (117.72 doses/100 inhabitants), the United Kingdom (55.0), Hungary (38.49), and Morocco (22.89) [2]. It is not yet possible to define an ultimate procedure for distributing
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