The shot, the message, and the messenger: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Latin America.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Argote P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8484594 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Vaccine hesitancy and refusal remain a major concern for healthcare professionals and policymakers. Hence, it is necessary to ascertain the underlying factors that promote or hinder the uptake of vaccines. Authorities and policy makers are experimenting with vaccine promotion messages to communities using loss and gain-framed messages. However, the effectiveness of message framing in influencing the intention to be vaccinated is unclear. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study analysed the impact of individual attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination, direct and indirect social norms, perceived behavioural control and perceived threat towards South Indian millennials' intention to get vaccinated. The study also assessed the effect of framing vaccine communication messages with gain and loss framing. Data was collected from 228 Millennials from South India during the COVID-19 pandemic from September to October 2021 and analysed using PLS path modelling and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). The findings reveal that attitudes towards vaccination, perceived threat and indirect social norms positively impact millennials' intention to take up vaccines in both message frames. Further, independent sample t-test between the framing groups indicate that negative (loss framed message) leads to higher vaccination intention compared to positive (gain framed message). A loss-framed message is thus recommended for message framing to promote vaccine uptake among millennials. These findings provide useful information in understanding the impact of message framing on behavioural intentions, especially in the context of vaccine uptake intentions of Millennials in South India.
| S-EPMC9269925 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Effective management of a pandemic due to a respiratory virus requires public health capacity for a coordinated response for mandatory restrictions, large-scale testing to identify infected individuals, capacity to isolate infected cases and track and test contacts, and health services for those infected who require hospitalization. Because of contextual and socioeconomic factors, it has been hard for Latin America to confront this epidemic. In this article, we discuss the context and the initial responses of eight selected Latin American countries, including similarities and differences in public health, economic, and fiscal measures, and provide reflections on what worked and what did not work and what to expect moving forward.
| S-EPMC7646820 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Health workers (HWs) have a key role in promoting vaccine acceptance. This study draws on the Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination (BeSD) model and our team's investigation of vaccine hesitancy in a sample of 1197 HWs across 14 Caribbean countries in 2021. We conducted a cross-sectional Internet survey of 6718 HWs across 16 countries in Latin America in spring 2022, after the COVID-19 vaccine had recently become widely available in the region. The survey assessed HWs' attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general. As a proxy measure of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, we used the willingness to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible people. Ninety-seven percent of respondents were COVID-19 vaccine acceptant. Although nearly all respondents felt that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective, 59% expressed concerns about potential adverse effects. Despite uniformly high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine overall and across Latin American subregions, acceptance differed by sex, HW profession, and COVID-19 history. Social processes, including actions and opinions of friends, family, and colleagues; actions and opinions of religious leaders; and information seen on social networks shaped many respondents' opinions of vaccines, and the magnitude of these effects differed across both demographic and geographic subgroups. Information campaigns designed for HWs should underscore the importance of vaccine safety. Messages should be tailored to specific audiences according to the information source each is most likely to consult and trust.
| S-EPMC10536662 | biostudies-literature
Project description:As safe and effective vaccines become widely available, attaining herd immunity and limiting the spread of COVID-19 will depend on individuals choosing to vaccinate-and doing so quickly enough to outpace mutations. Using online surveys conducted across six Latin American countries in January 2021, we experimentally assess messages designed to counteract informational deficiencies and collective action problems that may drive hesitancy. We first find that basic vaccine information persuades around 8% of hesitant individuals to become willing to vaccinate, reduces intended wait to vaccinate by 0.4 months, and increases willingness to encourage others to vaccinate. Rather than facilitating free riding, learning, or social conformity, additional information about others' behavior increases vaccine acceptance when respondents expect herd immunity will be achieved. Finally, priming the social approval benefits of vaccinating also increases vaccine acceptance. These results suggest that providing information and shaping social expectations and incentives could both significantly increase vaccine uptake.
| S-EPMC8553119 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Study designCross-sectional study.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in spine surgeons in Latin America.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to Latin American spine surgeons from April 4 to 6, 2020. Surgeon characteristics were recorded. The impact of COVID-19 on economic well-being, work, and mental health were also determined. All variables were compared and analyzed.ResultsTwo hundred four surgeons answered the complete survey; most of them were male (96.6%), the average age was 47.7 years; 58.8% (n = 120) were orthopedic surgeons and 41.2% (n = 84) were neurosurgeons. The majority of the respondents were from Argentina (59.8%, n = 122), followed by Brazil (17.2%, n = 35), Chile (6.4%, n = 13), and Mexico (5.9%, n = 12). Most of the surgeons reported performing emergency procedures only during the pandemic (76.5%, n = 156). Half used telemedicine or online consultation modalities (54.4%, n = 111). The average concern about the financial situation due to the pandemic was 7.53 in a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst scenario). Twenty-two percent (n = 45) of the surgeons had a score over 10 in the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; scores higher than 10 needs referral to confirm depression diagnosis). Young age and neurosurgery as a specialty were associated with higher PHQ-9 scores.ConclusionsCOVID-19 has an impact in the daily working practice and financial situation of spine surgeons in Latin America. The long-term psychological impact should be taken into consideration to avoid a heavier burden for health care providers.
| S-EPMC8258821 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Since March 2020, governments have recommended or enacted lockdown policies to curb the spread of COVID-19. Yet, poorer segments of the population cannot afford to stay at home and must continue to work. In this paper, we test whether work-related mobility is effectively influenced by the local intensity of poverty. To do so, we exploit poverty data and Google mobility data for 242 regions of nine Latin American and African countries. We find that the drop in work-related mobility during the first lockdown period was indeed significantly lower in high-poverty regions compared to other regions. We also illustrate how higher poverty has induced a faster spread of the virus. The policy implication is that social protection measures in the form of food or cash trasfers must be complementary to physical distancing measures. Further research must evaluate how such transfers, when implemented, have attenuated the difference between poor and non-poor regions in terms of exposure to the virus.
| S-EPMC7885669 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDeterminants of vaccine acceptance are multifactorial, complex, and in most cases, context-dependent. We determined the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination intention (VI) and fear of its adverse effects (FAE) as well as their associated factors in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).MethodsWe conducted a secondary cross-sectional analysis of a database collected by the University of Maryland and Facebook. We included participants aged 18 and over from LAC surveyed, January 15 to February 1, 2021. We evaluated VI, FAE, sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 symptomatology, compliance with community mitigation strategies, food and economic insecurity, mental health evaluation and the influence in VI when recommended by different stakeholders. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with their 95%CIs.ResultsWe analyzed 472,521 responses by Latin American adults, finding a VI and FAE prevalence of 80.0% and 81.2%, respectively. We found that female and non-binary genders were associated with a lower probability of VI and a higher probability of FAE. Besides, living in a town, village or rural area and economic insecurity was associated with a higher FAE probability. The fears of becoming seriously ill, a family member becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 and having depressive symptoms were associated with a higher probability of VI and FAE.ConclusionEight out of 10 adults in LAC have VI and FAE. The factors identified are useful for the development of communication strategies to reduce FAE frequency. It is necessary to guarantee mass vaccination and support the return of economic activities.
| S-EPMC8063600 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background : Latin America has now become the epicenter of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, a profound burden of SARS-COV-2 infection has been reported in Latin America. In the present study, we aim to determine the profiles that are associated with this disease in Latin America. We analyzed symptoms, morbidities and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations by country. Methods: We analyzed data from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients evaluated at healthcare centers and hospitals of 8 Latin American countries including Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia between March 1 and July 30, 2020. These countries consist of a total population that exceeds 519 million. Demographics, comorbidities and clinical symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities and lethality were performed. Results: A total of 728,282 patients tested positive for COVID-19 across all the 8 Latin American countries. Of these, 52.6% were female. The average age was 48.4 years. Peru had the oldest cohort with 56.8 years old and highest rate of females (56.8%) while Chile had the youngest cohort (39 years old). Venezuela had the highest male prevalence (56.7%). Most common symptoms were cough with 60.1% (Bolivia had the highest rate 78%), fatigue/tiredness with 52.0%, sore throat with 50.3%, and fever with 44.2%. Bolivia had fever as the top symptom (83.3%). GI symptoms including diarrhea (highest in Mexico with 22.9%), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain were not associated with higher mortality. Hypertension was among the top (12.1%) comorbidities followed by diabetes with 8.3% and obesity 4.5%. In multivariable analyses, the leading and significant comorbidities were hypertension (r=0.83, p=0.02), diabetes (r=0.91, p=0.01), and obesity (r=0.86, p=0.03). Asthma (r=0.37, p=0.54) and increasing age (0.13 p=0.81) were not independently associated with higher mortality. Lethality was highest in Mexico (16.6%) and lowest in Venezuela (0.9%) among the analyzed cohorts. Conclusion: Nearly, 10.5%-53% of patients with COVID-19 have GI manifestations. Differential clinical symptoms were associated with COVID-19 in Latin America countries. Metabolic syndrome components were the main comorbidities associated with poor outcome. Country-specific management and prevention plans are needed. Country-specific management and prevention plans can be established from this meta-analysis.
| S-EPMC7805457 | biostudies-literature
Project description:COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is currently-one of the main obstacles to worldwide herd immunity and socioeconomic recovery. Because vaccine coverage can vary between and within countries, it is important to identify sources of variation so that policies can be tailored to different population groups. In this paper, we analyze the results from a survey designed and implemented in order to identify early adopters and laggers in six big cities located in Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Dominican Republic. We find that trust in government and science, accurate knowledge about the value of vaccination and vaccine effects, and perceived risk of getting sick is associated with a higher probability to get vaccinated. We also identify potential laggers such as women and populations with high education but low knowledge about vaccines. We discuss specific strategies to promote vaccination among these populations groups as well as more general strategies designed to gain trust. These findings are specific to the context of Latin America insofar as the underlying factors associated with the choice to be vaccinated vary significantly by location and in relation to individual-level factors.
| S-EPMC9584855 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeThe delay in acceptance or refusal to get vaccinated despite the availability of services is called vaccine hesitancy. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan faced consistent barriers preventing the eradication of the disease in the country. Similarly with the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mass vaccination drives were initiated to a vaccine hesitant population. The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Pakistani population.Materials and methodsCross-sectional study conducted during July to September 2021 using a snowball sampling technique targeting the adult population of Pakistan. The modified version of the vaccine hesitancy questionnaire related to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization Vaccine Hesitancy matrix was distributed online.ResultsOut of 973 participants, 52.4% were immediately willing to take the vaccine and constituted the acceptance group whereas the remaining 47.6% who were still not sure formed the hesitant group. Support from leaders was found to be statistically significant for the difference between the hesitant and acceptance groups (p-value=0.027). Hesitant people were concerned about the effectiveness of the vaccine (60.9%) and potential side effects (57.9%) as it was not sufficiently tested prior to launch (44.7%). Age and education were significant factors affecting the acceptance of vaccination. The most trusted source of information regarding vaccination was health care workers (43.8%).ConclusionA moderately high prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was reported in Pakistan. To overcome it, policymakers need to address the reasons for it. Leaders, celebrities, and healthcare workers can play an instrumental role in dispelling conspiracy theories regarding vaccines and making the vaccination drive a success.
| S-EPMC10435776 | biostudies-literature