To Get Vaccinated, or Not to Get Vaccinated, That Is the Question: Illness Representations about COVID-19 and Perceptions about COVID-19 Vaccination as Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness among Young Adults in The Netherlands.

Manja Vollmann,Christel Salewski

doi:10.3390/vaccines9090941

Manja Vollmann, Christel Salewski

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9090941

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Journal: Vaccines	Publication Date: Aug 24, 2021
Citations: 20	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Hagen

Abstract

Mass vaccination is considered necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, vaccination willingness was found to be especially low among young adults. Therefore, based on the extended Common Sense Model, the unique effects and the interplay of illness representations about COVID-19 and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination in explaining COVID-19 vaccination willingness was investigated using a cross-sectional design. An online survey measuring the relevant variables was filled in by 584 participants (69.9% female) between 18 and 34 years. Correlation analyses showed that all illness representation dimensions except from timeline and both dimensions of vaccination perceptions were related to vaccination willingness. The mediation analysis revealed that less personal control, more prevention control, more concerns about COVID-19 as well as more perceived necessity of and fewer concerns about the vaccination were directly related to higher vaccination willingness. Additionally, prevention control was indirectly related to higher vaccination willingness through stronger perceptions of necessity of the vaccination. The extended Common Sense Model proved to be useful in the context of illness prevention. Campaigns to improve vaccination rates should aim at increasing the perception that COVID-19 is preventable through vaccination and the personal need of the vaccination as well as at decreasing concerns about the vaccination.

Highlights

A growing body of evidence suggests that mass vaccination is a very efficacious measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections in the current global pandemic [1,2,3]
More symptoms attributed to a COVID-19 infection, more serious perceived consequences of a COVID-19 infection, weaker beliefs that a COVID-19 infection can be controlled by own behavior, stronger beliefs that a COVID-19 infection can be medically treated, more confidence that a COVID-19 infection can be prevented through own behavior and through vaccination, more concerns about COVID-19, stronger emotional responses to COVID-19, and a better understanding of COVID-19 were related to higher vaccination willingness
Weaker beliefs that a COVID-19 infection can be controlled by own behavior, stronger perceptions that a COVID-19 infection can be prevented through vaccination, and more concerns about COVID-19 as well as stronger perceptions of necessity of and fewer concerns about COVID-19 vaccination were related to a higher willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Summary

Introduction

A growing body of evidence suggests that mass vaccination is a very efficacious measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections in the current global pandemic [1,2,3]. According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, there were approximately 50,000 new infections, more than 1500 new hospital admissions, of which about 300 were in intensive care units, and about 175 deaths due to COVID-19 per week at that time in the Netherlands [6]. These high rates and the consequential prolongation of the lockdown measures had and still have tremendous negative effects on health care processes [7], people’s mental and physical health [8,9], and the economy [10]. As reaching this threshold through natural infections is not desirable [14,15,16], about 75% to 90% of the population is required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, depending on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines [13]

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