Vaccine Hesitancy Scale Research Articles

COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and willingness among pregnant women in Italy.

BackgroundPregnant women, especially those with comorbidities, compared to those non-pregnant, have higher risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19. However, COVID-19 vaccine uptake is very low among them.MethodsAn anonymous questionnaire was administered to randomly selected women 18 years of age that were currently pregnant or had just given birth between September 2021 and May 2022 in the geographic area of Naples. Vaccine hesitancy was assessed using the vaccine hesitancy scale (VHS).ResultsA total of 385 women participated. Women who had not been infected by SARS-CoV-2 and who needed information about vaccination against COVID-19 had a higher perceived risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. More than half (54.3%) of the women were very afraid of the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination on the fetus. There was higher concern of the side effects of the vaccine on the fetus among those who did not have a graduate degree, those with high-risk pregnancy, those who had not been infected by SARS-CoV-2, those who were more concerned that they could be infected by SARS-CoV-2, those who did not know that this vaccination was recommended for them, and those trusting mass media/internet/social networks for information. Only 21.3% were vaccinated when pregnant, mostly women with a university degree, those who had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 before pregnancy, those who did not need information, and those who acquired information about the vaccination from gynecologists. Almost three-quarters (71.9%) were willing to receive the vaccination and those more likely were those with a university degree, those who have had at least one relative/cohabitant partner/friend who had been infected by SARS-CoV-2, those who were more concerned that they could be infected by SARS-CoV-2, and those who were not extremely concerned of the side effects of the vaccine on the fetus. A total of 86.4% were highly hesitant. Highly hesitant were respondents who did not get a graduate degree, those less concerned that they could be infected by SARS-CoV-2, and those trusting mass media/internet/social networks for information.ConclusionPublic health efforts and education campaigns for pregnant women are needed for changing their perception patterns and for supporting gynecologists in promoting the uptake of this vaccination.

Psychometric validation of a chinese version of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundCOVID-19 vaccines have been administered in many countries; however, a sufficient vaccine coverage rate is not guaranteed due to vaccine hesitancy. To improve the uptake rate of COVID-19 vaccine, it is essential to evaluate the rate of vaccine hesitancy and explore relevant factors in different populations. An urgent need is to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among different population groups, hence a validated scale for measuring COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is necessary. The present study aims to validate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale among different populations in China and to provide a scale measuring COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with satisfactory reliability and validity.MethodsSelf-reported survey data were collected from different populations in China from January to March 2021. Based on the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines scale, 15 items were adapted to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were utilized to identify internal constructs of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale among two randomly split subsets of the overall sample. Reliability was analyzed with the internal consistency, composite reliability, and the test–retest reliability, and validity was analyzed with the criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.ResultsA total of 4227 participants completed the survey, with 62.8% being medical workers, 17.8% being students, 10.3% being general population, and 9.1% being public health professionals. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure that explain 50.371% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that models consisting of three dimensions constructed in different populations had good or acceptable fit (CFI ranged from 0.902 to 0.929, RMSEA ranged from 0.061 to 0.069, and TLI ranged from 0.874 to 0.912). The Cronbach’s α for the total scale and the three subscales was 0.756, 0.813, 0.774 and 0.705, respectively. Moreover, the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale had adequate test–retest reliability, criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale is a valid and reliable scale for identifying COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among different population groups in China. Given the serious consequences of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, future studies should validate it across regions and time to better understand the application of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale.

The Effects of Death Salience and Fear of COVID-19 on COVID-19 Vaccine Opposition: A Quasi-experimental Study

Vaccinations against COVID-19 continue for more than one year. However, some people hold negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. The present study aims to examine how the attitudes against the COVID-19 vaccine are affected by the death salience and fear of COVID-19. Following this aim quasi-experimental research was conducted by utilizing death salience manipulation based on the Terror Management Theory. 288 people participated in the study, 146 people (77% women, 23% men) in the experimental condition, and 142 (73% women, 27% men) in the control condition. Data were collected online with a questionnaire consisting of the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS), Fear of Covid-19 Scale (FCV-19S), the Emotion Checklist (EC) in the pre-test, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Socio-demographics beside VHS in post-test. The results of the statistical analyses comparing the pre- and post-tests revealed a significant decrease in the VHS-total and subscale scores excepting “vaccine hesitancy” following death salience manipulation in the experimental condition. However, there were statistically significant decreases in the VHS-total and “vaccine repugnance” subscale scores in the control condition. The findings of the study revealed that anti-vaccination attitudes have been affected by death salience. The results of the study supported the explanations of Terror Management Theory by showing that the increase in fear affects attitude change, especially when the strength of the attitude is weak.

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy: Social Isolation in Relation to Social Media Addiction and COVID-19 Anxiety.

Despite significant advancements in immunization over the last century, vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to world health. Health-related information available from a variety of sources, including new media such as social media platforms, can encourage vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study is to determine the level of vaccine hesitation among adults, specifically their belief in the advantages of vaccination and their perceptions of vaccine-related dangers in relation to social media addiction and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) anxiety. Between December 2021 and January 2022, 454 adults participated in an online cross-sectional survey consisting of the social media use disorder scale, the vaccine hesitancy scale, and the coronavirus anxiety scale. The results of the study revealed a strong correlation between social media addiction, vaccine hesitation, and COVID-19 anxiety. Given the potential for misinformation to spread through social media, especially in a situation like a pandemic, the conscious use of social media should be emphasized and anti-addiction measures are required. Novel programs including online interventions should be developed to promote vaccination among social media addicts who have relatively high vaccination hesitancy.

Anti-Vaccination and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Adolescents

Aim: The emergence of COVID-19 vaccines in the pandemic has led to discussions about vaccine hesitancy in the general population. This study, it was aimed to determine the anti-vaccination and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy levels in a sample of adolescents.
 Material and Method: This is a cross-sectional study. It was conducted with 303 individuals aged between 15-18 years who received to the pediatric outpatient clinic between October and November 2021. Study data were collected using a structured questionnaire including the ‘Vaccine Hesitancy Scale’ and ‘Vaccine Hesitancy in Pandemics scale.’ In the analysis of the relations between the variables, the t-tests in independent groups, the One-way Anova test and the Pearson correlation test were applied.
 Results: 43.5% of the participants and 85.6% of the parents were vaccinated. Among unvaccinated individuals, 27.4% were not willing to get vaccinated. Even if vaccination were compulsory, 22.2% would still refuse to get vaccinated. 28.7% stated that they were affected by anti-vaccination rhetoric. The participants’ mean scores were 30.2±4.8 and 48.1±17.0 on the scales. No significant difference was found between females and males. In low-income groups, vaccine hesitancy levels were higher than in those with higher income. The vaccine hesitancy level in Pandemics was significantly lower in those who suffered from Covid-19. The vaccine hesitancy levels were significantly lower in those whose parents were vaccinated. The vaccine hesitancy levels were significantly higher in those informed about vaccines from social media.
 Conclusion: Knowledge of the risks and complications of diseases and information disseminated on social media platforms are factors that significantly influence attitudes towards vaccination.

The Turkish version of the Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale

Aim: Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy can be an obstacle to the global effort to control the current pandemic. The study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. Design: A methodological and descriptive study. Methods: The research was conducted as a methodological and descriptive study. The sample size consisted of 476 academics who voluntarily agreed to participate in the research and completed the online questionnaire between February and March 2021. Results: As a result of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the fit index values obtained by making two modifications of the one-dimensional Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale were found to be χ2/df = 1.86; AGFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.04; GFI = 0.98; CFI = 0.99 and IFI = 0.99. The Cronbachʼs alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.95. Test-retest reliability coefficient of the scale was r = 0.93 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, adapted to Turkish, is a valid and reliable measurement tool for determining hesitancy of Turkish society towards covid-19 vaccines.

Evaluation of Vaccine Hesitancy, Anti-Vaccination, and Anxiety Levels for Medical Secretaries During COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaccination, and anxiety levels of medical secretaries during the pandemic.
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 161 medical secretaries working at the time of the Study. Sociodemographic characteristics form, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) adapted to the pandemic, and Anti-vaccination Scale (AVS) were used in the questionnaire form used to collect the data of the study.
 Results: Median (IQR) CAS, VHS, and AVS scores of the participants were 2 (IQR=3), 32 (IQR=10), and 58 (IQR=16), respectively. 35.4 % of the participants were exposed to the COVID-19, and 87% were vaccinated against COVID-19. Participants' hesitations about the childhood and COVID-19 vaccines were 15.5 % and 49.1%, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the presence of Coronavirus anxiety and educational status (p=0.035), hesitancy against childhood vaccine (p=0.016), and working in COVID-19 Units (p=0.044). A statistically significant relationship was found between VHS scores and hesitancy against childhood vaccine (p=0.001), hesitancy against COVID-19 vaccine (p

Development and validation of a COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale for adults in the United States

COVID-19 vaccines have been rapidly developed. However, widespread uptake remains a hurdle to a successful pandemic response. A simple, user-friendly survey to measure vaccine hesitancy may facilitate development of interventions aimed at maximizing vaccination. We developed a novel 10-item instrument designed to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in adults in the United States. We recruited 232 participants through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, an online crowdsourcing platform. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89) and temporal stability (r = 0.87; p < 0.001) of our survey was strong. Lower hesitancy (high scores) was associated with higher trust in physicians (r = 0.58; p < 0.001), and higher hesitancy (low scores) was reported with higher belief in conspiracies (r = -0.68; p < 0.001). The correlation between low hesitancy and reported intent to receive (or history of receiving) at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was moderate-strong (r = 0.68; p < 0.001).

Evaluation of Vaccine Hesitancy and Anxiety Levels among Hospital Cleaning Staff and Caregivers during COVID-19 Pandemic.

It is important to vaccinate individuals working in the field of health who are more at risk compared to society during the pandemic period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaccine hesitancy and anxiety levels of hospital cleaning staff and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive type cross-sectional study was conducted with 460 hospital cleaning staff and caregivers. Demographic and social characteristics form, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) adapted to the pandemic were used in the questionnaire form used to collect the data of the study. It was determined that the rates of hesitation against the COVID-19 vaccine and childhood vaccine were 42.2% (n = 194) and 10.9% (n = 50), respectively. Less than half of the participants (44.6%) believe that the COVID-19 vaccine is protective. COVID-19 anxiety (CAS score ≥ 9 point) was detected in 19.6% of participants and statistically significant differences were found between patients with (n = 90) and without (n = 370) anxiety regarding gender (p < 0.001), working unit (p = 0.002), vaccination status (p = 0.023) and history of psychological disease (p = 0.023). It has been shown that the VHS-total scores of those who are not vaccinated, those who are hesitant about vaccination, those who do not think that the vaccine is protective, and those who state that there is no need for a legal obligation in vaccination are higher. When participants were asked about the most anxious situation during the COVID-19 period, the highest response rate was 62.4% for my parents’ exposure to COVID-19. The most anxious situation among participants is their parents’ exposure to COVID-19. Although participants are highly vaccinated, they have serious hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine. This study also showed that there was a parallel relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and vaccine hesitancy.

Health professional students at the University of Illinois Chicago (HOLISTIC) Cohort Study: A protocol.

ObjectivesThe objectives of the HOLISTIC Cohort Study are to establish a prospective cohort study covering a period of three years that characterizes the health of students within and across health professional education programs at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, implement an interprofessional student research team, and generate a meaningful dataset that is used to inform initiatives that improve student health. This report describes the protocol of the HOLISTIC Cohort Study, including survey development, recruitment strategy, and data management and analysis.MethodsAn interprofessional student research team has been organized with the goal of providing continuous assessment of study design and implementation across the seven health science colleges (applied health sciences, dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work) at the University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago, IL. To be eligible to participate in the HOLISTIC Cohort Study, students are required to be 1) age 18 years or older; 2) enrolled full- or part-time in one or more of UIC’s seven health science colleges; and 3) enrolled in a program that prepares its graduates to enter a healthcare profession. The study protocol includes a series of three recruitment waves (Spring 2021 [April 14, 2021, to May 5, 2021; completed], Spring 2022, Spring 2023). In the first recruitment wave, eligible students were sent an invitation via electronic mail (e-mail) to complete an online survey. The online survey was based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2019 survey and the 2014 World Health Organization Report of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts Working Group Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. Electronic informed consent and study data are collected and managed using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tools. This study utilizes convenience sampling from all seven health science colleges at UIC with a target recruitment total of 2,000 participants.Discussion and future directionsA total of 555 students across all seven health science colleges (10.8% of 5,118 students who were invited; 27.6% of target sample size) enrolled in the cohort during the first recruitment wave. The pilot data establishes the feasibility of the study during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adaptations to overcome barriers to study implementation, including the use of remote, rather than in-person, study meetings, staff training, and participant recruitment are discussed. For the second and third waves of recruitment, the student research team will seek institutional review board (IRB) approval to implement additional enrollment strategies that are tailored to each health science college, such as online newsletters, virtual townhalls, flyers on bulletin boards near classrooms tailored to each health science college.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care worker-parents (HCWP) in Puducherry, India and its implications on their children: A cross sectional descriptive study

BackgroundVaccine hesitancy affects immunization programs worldwide and can impact vaccine coverage and fight against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) too. ObjectivesPrimary objectives: To find out the magnitude of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the Health Care Worker Parents (HCWPs), the reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and their perceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccination of their children. Secondary objective: To analyze the clinic-socio-demographic correlates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCWPs. MethodsThis was a cross sectional descriptive study. Health care workers who are parents were invited to participate in the study. Details about COVID vaccination status, COVID-19 illness of HCWPS and family members and its outcomes , reasons for not getting vaccinated, willingness to vaccinate their children, reasons for not willing to vaccinate their children, their responses to vaccine hesitancy survey (VHS) questionnaire and Modified Oxford COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale (MOVHS) were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. ResultsA total of 269 HCWPs participated in the study. Of the HCWPs, 97% had completed their COVID-19 vaccination schedule. Majority stated that they would vaccinate their children when it is available. Although majority of the responses were positive or towards agreement, there were some striking variations in the responses among some sections of HCWPs. Positive responses to the questionnaire were associated with higher self-vaccination and a decision to vaccinate their children. ConclusionVaccine hesitancy was less common among HCWPs in our study. A section of the HCWPs might be disproportionately more hesitant than others. Majority were in favor of vaccinating their children.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Australian Patients with Solid Organ Cancers.

Background: Vaccination is the cornerstone of the global public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Excess morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 infection is seen in people with cancer. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been observed in this medically vulnerable population, although associated attitudes and beliefs remain poorly understood. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of people with solid organ cancers was conducted through nine health services across Australia. Demographics, cancer-related characteristics and vaccine uptake were collected. Perceptions and beliefs regarding COVID-19 vaccination were assessed using the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Complacency Scale and the Disease Influenced Vaccine Acceptance Scale-6. Results: Between June and October 2021, 2691 people with solid organ cancers completed the survey. The median age was 62.5 years (SD = 11.8; range 19–95), 40.9% were male, 71.3% lived in metropolitan areas and 90.3% spoke English as their first language. The commonest cancer diagnoses were breast (36.6%), genitourinary (18.6%) and gastrointestinal (18.3%); 59.2% had localized disease and 56.0% were receiving anti-cancer therapy. Most participants (79.7%) had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Vaccine uptake was higher in people who were older, male, metropolitan, spoke English as a first language and had a cancer diagnosis for more than six months. Vaccine hesitancy was higher in people who were younger, female, spoke English as a non-dominant language and lived in a regional location, and lower in people with genitourinary cancer. Vaccinated respondents were more concerned about being infected with COVID-19 and less concerned about vaccine safety and efficacy. Conclusions: People with cancer have concerns about acquiring COVID-19, which they balance against vaccine-related concerns about the potential impact on their disease progress and/or treatment. Detailed exploration of concerns in cancer patients provides valuable insights, both for discussions with individual patients and public health messaging for this vulnerable population.

Evaluation of Academics' Anti-vaccination and Rational Drug Use Behaviors

Aim: The aim of this study is to reveal the difference in academics' anti-vaccine and rational drug use behaviors according to their sociodemographic characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic. &#x0D; Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with 468 academics working in different fields in Turkey. A Sociodemographic Information Form, the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, and Rational Drug Use Scale were used to collect data online. The data were analyzed via the independent sample t-test, ANOVA and Tukey's test. &#x0D; Results: The level of vaccine hesitancy was significantly higher in male, and between the ages of 31-40, and who were working in the field of physical sciences. Female academics, and professors, and who working in the field of health sciences exhibited more rational drug use behaviors (p

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in N'Djamena, Chad: A cross-sectional study of patients, community members, and healthcare workers.

As of March 2022, the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Chad approximated 1%. There are no published reports of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy or beliefs in Chad. We aimed to study COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among community members, patients, and health care workers in urban Chad. We recruited a prospective convenience sample of adult patients, community members, and healthcare workers from N'Djamena, Chad between August-October 2021. Participants completed a 15-minute, 25-question survey instrument exploring demographic, social, and clinical variables related to COVID-19 and an adapted WHO SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Survey. Primary outcomes were vaccine acceptance and vaccine hesitancy. Regression models were fit to assess associations between Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) scores, ranging from 10 (least hesitant) to 50 (most hesitant) points, and pre-selected variables of interest. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative vaccine hesitancy responses. Of 508 participants (32% female; mean age 32 years), 162 were patients, 153 were community members, and 193 were healthcare workers. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was significantly higher among patients (67%) than community members (44%) or healthcare workers (47%), p < .001. The average VHS score was 29 points (patients = 27.0, community members = 28.9, healthcare workers = 29.4), and more than one-third of participants were classified as highly vaccine hesitant (score >30 points). Knowing someone who died from COVID-19, believing local healthcare workers support vaccination, trusting the government, having a higher socioeconomic status (i.e. having electricity), and reporting medical comorbidities were each associated with less vaccine hesitancy (all p < .05). The vaccine concerns most frequently endorsed were: vaccine side effects (48%), efficacy (38%), safety (34%), concerns about the pharmaceutical industry (27%), and lack of government trust (21%). Four main themes arose from qualitative vaccine hesitancy responses (n = 116): education, trust, clinical concerns, and misinformation and false beliefs. Overall, COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was low, including among health care workers, and reasons for vaccine hesitancy were broad. We detail the most commonly reported concerns of urban Chadians for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine; we also identify subgroups most likely to endorse vaccine hesitancy. These analyses may inform future vaccination outreach campaigns in N'Djamena.

Role of literacy, fear and hesitancy on acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among village health volunteers in Thailand.

The roles of literacy, fear and hesitancy were investigated for acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine (AV) types among village health volunteers (VHVs) in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an unidentified online questionnaire to assess literacy, fear and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among Thai VHVs between 1 and 15 October 2021. The questionnaire was developed based on the HLVa-IT (Health Literacy Vaccinale degli adulti in Italiano) for vaccine literacy (VL), using an adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (aVHS) for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) and Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S) for the distress of COVID-19 vaccine. The effects of VL, VH and vaccine fear (VF) on AV were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 5,312 VHVs completed the questionnaire. After adjustment with variables in the multivariable analysis, the VL score was insignificantly associated with increased vaccination (aOR = 1.002; (95%CI: 0.994-1.01)), while VF and VH significantly decreased the chance of vaccination, aOR = 0.966 (95%CI: 0.953-0.978) and aOR = 0.969; (95%CI: 0.960-0.979), respectively and VF and VH were negatively associated with AV for all types of vaccine preference, with VL showing a reverse relationship only for mRNA-based vaccines. VL may not increase AV among VHVs. To increase attitudes toward receiving COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand, the government and health-related organizations should instigate policies to significantly reduce VF and VH among Thai VHVs.

Vaccine Attitudes and COVID-19 Vaccine Intention Among Parents of Children With Kidney Disease or Primary Hypertension

Rationale & ObjectiveChildren with kidney disease and primary hypertension may be more vulnerable to COVID-19. We examined COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with chronic kidney disease or hypertension.Study DesignSequential explanatory mixed-methods design; survey followed by in-depth interviews.Setting & ParticipantsParents of children aged <18 years with kidney disease or primary hypertension within a large pediatric practice.ExposureParental attitudes toward general childhood and influenza vaccines assessed by the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. Kidney disease classification, demographic and socioeconomic factors, experiences with COVID-19, COVID-19 mitigation activities and self-efficacy, and sources of vaccine information.OutcomeWillingness to vaccinate child against COVID-19.Analytical ApproachAnalysis of variance (ANOVA) test to compare parental attitudes toward general childhood and influenza vaccination with attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. Multinomial logistic regression to assess predictors of willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19. Thematic analysis of interview data to characterize influences on parental attitudes.ResultsOf the participants, 207 parents completed the survey (39% of approached): 75 (36%) were willing, 80 (39%) unsure, and 52 (25%) unwilling to vaccinate their child against COVID-19. Hesitancy toward general childhood and influenza vaccines was highest among the unwilling group (P < 0.001). More highly educated parents more likely to be willing to vaccinate their children, while Black race was associated with being more likely to be unwilling. Rushed COVID-19 vaccine development as well as fear of serious and unknown long-term side effects were themes that differed across the parental groups that were willing, unsure, or unwilling to vaccinate their children. Although doctors and health care teams are trusted sources of vaccine information, perceptions of benefit versus harm and experiences with doctors differed among these 3 groups. The need for additional information on COVID-19 vaccines was greatest among those unwilling or unsure about vaccinating.LimitationsGeneralizability may be limited.ConclusionsTwo-thirds of parents of children with kidney disease or hypertension were unsure or unwilling to vaccinate their child against COVID-19. Higher hesitancy toward routine childhood and influenza vaccination was associated with hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines. Enhanced communication of vaccine information relevant to kidney patients in an accessible manner should be examined as a means to reduce vaccine hesitancy.Plain-Language SummaryChildren with kidney disease or hypertension may do worse with COVID-19. As there are now effective vaccines to protect children from COVID-19, we wanted to find out what parents think about COVID-19 vaccines and what influences their attitudes. We surveyed and then interviewed parents of children who had received a kidney transplant, were receiving maintenance dialysis, had chronic kidney disease, or had hypertension. We found that two-thirds of parents were hesitant to vaccinate their children. Their reasons varied, but the key issues included the need for information pertinent to their child and a consistent message from doctors and other health care providers. These findings may inform an effective vaccine campaign to protect children with kidney disease and hypertension.

Hope as a predictor for COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the US: a cross-sectional survey of 11,955 adults

ABSTRACT Widespread vaccine uptake is critical for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. As public health officials focus on overcoming vaccine hesitancy, simultaneously boosting hope may be equally important in the US. We analyzed data from an online cross-sectional survey conducted in June 2021. Participants were 11,955 US adults (ages 18–83) of various ethnicities, living in urban and rural settings. Of these, 71.3% had some college education. Mean age was 32.3 years and 72.4% reported being vaccinated against COVID-19. Main measures were COVID-19 self-reported vaccination status (vaccine uptake), vaccine hesitancy (Adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale), and hope (Adult Hope Scale). The US grand mean hope score fell within the low-hope range. COVID-19 vaccine uptake was positively associated with hope, even after adjusting for vaccine hesitancy, gender, age, ethnicity, income, and urban vs. rural residence. The strong relationship between hope, vaccine confidence and vaccine uptake persisted across US populations at risk for low vaccine uptake. Our mediation analysis revealed that, for every unit increase in hope, the probability of being vaccinated went up by 5% points. Of this association, 52% was not mediated by vaccine hesitancy, but rather through a direct pathway from hope to vaccine uptake. Mediation analyses of US populations at risk of low vaccine uptake revealed similar findings. Hope may play an important role in vaccine uptake by reducing vaccine hesitancy and by directly enhancing vaccine uptake. Especially in populations at risk of low vaccine uptake, vaccine interventions that boost hope may augment public health efforts to increase US vaccination rates.

The Relationship Between COVID-19 Awareness and Vaccine Hesitancy among University Students

Purpose: The following research was conducted in an effort to determine the relationship between Material and Methods: Data was collected from 700 university students between October 2021 and January 2022 through the snowball sampling method for the purposed of this descriptive and cross-sectional study. A specifications form, COVID-19 Awareness Scale and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics were all utilized for the collection of necessary data. Number, mean, percentile distributions, standard deviation, One-Way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data. Results: University students achieved 89.24±16.25 points on the COVID-19 awareness scale and 23.32±9.61 points on the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics. The scales mean scores differed according to the descriptive characteristics of the students (p&amp;lt;0.05). A moderately negative correlational relationship was found between the total mean score of the COVID-19 Awareness Scale and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics total score (r=-0.496, p=0.00). Conclusion: University students' awareness of COVID-19 was very high and hesitations about vaccination were below the average. The results of this study determined that as student awareness of COVID-19 increases, hesitations about vaccination decrease. For this reason, it is necessary to organize educational activities that contain reliable information about COVID-19 for students.

A Web-Based Public Health Intervention for Addressing Vaccine Misinformation: Protocol for Analyzing Learner Engagement and Impacts on the Hesitancy to Vaccinate.

BackgroundA barrier to successful COVID-19 vaccine campaigns is the ongoing misinformation pandemic, or infodemic, which is contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Web-based population health interventions have been shown to impact health behaviors positively. For web-based interventions to be successful, they must use effective learning design strategies that seek to address known issues with learner engagement and retention. To know if an intervention successfully addresses vaccine hesitancy, there must be some embedded measure for comparing learners preintervention and postintervention.ObjectiveThis protocol aims to describe a study on the effectiveness of a web-based population health intervention that is designed to address vaccine misinformation and hesitancy. The study will examine learner analytics to understand what aspects of the learning design for the intervention were effective and implement a validated instrument—the Adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale—to measure if any changes in vaccine hesitancy were observed preintervention and postintervention.MethodsWe developed a fully web-based population health intervention to help learners identify misinformation concerning COVID-19 and share the science behind vaccinations. Intervention development involves using a design-based research approach to output more effective interventions in which data can be analyzed to improve future health interventions. The study will use a quasi-experimental design in which a pre-post survey will be provided and compared statistically. Learning analytics will also be generated based on the engagement and retention data collected through the intervention to understand what aspects of our learning design are effective.ResultsThe web-based intervention was released to the public in September 2021, and data collection is ongoing. No external marketing or advertising has been done to market the course, making our current population of 486 participants our pilot study population. An analysis of this initial population will enable the revision of the intervention, which will then be marketed to a broader audience. Study outcomes are expected to be published by August 2022. We anticipate the release of the revised intervention by May 2022.ConclusionsDisseminating accurate information to the public during pandemic situations is vital to contributing to positive health outcomes, such as those among people getting vaccinated. Web-based interventions are valuable, as they can reach people anytime and anywhere. However, web-based interventions must use sound learning design to help incentivize engagement and motivate learners to learn and must provide a means of evaluating the intervention to determine its impact. Our study will examine both the learning design and the effectiveness of the intervention by using the analytics collected within the intervention and a statistical analysis of a validated instrument to determine if learners had a change in vaccine hesitancy as a result of what they learned.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/38034

The Disease Influenced Vaccine Acceptance Scale-Six (DIVAS-6): Validation of a Measure to Assess Disease-Related COVID-19 Vaccine Attitudes and Concerns

Patients with underlying comorbidities are particularly vulnerable to poor outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite the context-specific nature of vaccine hesitancy, there are currently no scales that incorporate disease or treatment-related hesitancy factors. We developed a six-item scale assessing disease-related COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and concerns (The Disease Influenced COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Scale-Six: DIVAS-6). A survey incorporating the DIVAS-6 was completed by 4683 participants with severe and/or chronic illness (3560 cancer; 842 diabetes; 281 multiple sclerosis (MS)). The survey included the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Complacency Scale, demographic, disease-related, and vaccination status questions. The six items loaded onto two factors (disease complacency and vaccine vulnerability) using exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling. The two factors were internally consistent. Measurement invariance analysis showed the two factors displayed psychometric equivalence across the patient groups. Each factor significantly correlated with the two Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine scales, showing convergent validity. The summary score showed acceptable ability to discriminate vaccination status across diseases, with the total sample providing good-to-excellent discriminative ability. The DIVAS-6 has two factors measuring COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and concerns relating to potential complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to underlying disease (disease complacency) and vaccine-related impact on disease progression and treatment (vaccine vulnerability). This is the first validated scale to measure disease-related COVID-19 vaccine concerns and has been validated in people with cancer, diabetes, and MS. It is quick to administer and should assist with guiding information delivery about COVID-19 vaccination in medically vulnerable populations.