Dataset Information

Influence of rapid COVID-19 vaccine development on vaccine hesitancy.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In the race to deploy vaccines to prevent COVID-19, there is a need to understand factors influencing vaccine hesitancy. Secondary risk theory is a useful framework to explain this, accounting for concerns about vaccine efficacy and safety.

Methods

During the first week of July, 2020, participants (N = 216) evaluated one of three different hypothetical vaccine scenarios describing an FDA-approved vaccine becoming available "next week," "in one year," or "in two years." Dependent variables were perceived vaccine efficacy, self-efficacy, perceived vaccine risk, and vaccination willingness. Covariates included vaccine conspiracy beliefs, science pessimism, media dependency, and perceived COVID-19 risk. Data analysis employed multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

Results

Perceived vaccine efficacy was lowest for the next-week vaccine (η²_p = .045). Self-efficacy was higher for the two-year vaccine than the next-week vaccine (η²_p = .029). Perceived vaccine risk was higher for the next-week vaccine than for the one-year vaccine (η²_p = .032). Vaccination willingness did not differ among experimental treatments. In addition, vaccine conspiracy beliefs were negatively related to perceived vaccine efficacy (η²_p = .142), self-efficacy (η²_p = .031), and vaccination willingness (η²_p = .143) and positively related to perceived vaccine risk (η²_p = .216).

Conclusions

The rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine may have heightened public concerns over efficacy, availability, and safety. However, the current findings showed a general willingness to take even the most rapidly developed vaccine. Nonetheless, there remains a need to communicate publicly and transparently about vaccine efficacy and safety and work to reduce vaccine conspiracy beliefs.

SUBMITTER: Rosenthal S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8590511 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundSince the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines have been developed to tackle the disease. However, many people worldwide were not confident enough to take the vaccines. Developing a questionnaire to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will give the health authorities and policymakers a clear picture to establish appropriate interventions addressing vaccine hesitancy among the community.MethodsIn this study, we used a mixed-method design over two phases. Phase 1 entailed a qualitative approach to developing the questionnaire, including a literature search, expert panel review, and focus group discussion. Phase 2 used a quantitative method for establishing the content and construct validity of the questionnaire via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA & CFA). Internal consistency was checked using Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient.ResultsWe developed a 50-item instrument designed to measure COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in the state of Qatar. The study involved 545 adult participants. In terms of content validity, our study showed a value of 0.92 for the scale-level content validity index based on the average and a value of 0.76 for the scale-level content validity index - universal agreement. In the EFA, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was calculated at 0.78, with statistical significance (P = 0.001). Regarding model fit indices of the seven-factor model, our findings showed an acceptable model-data-fit, with a relative chi-square: 1.7 (<3), Root mean square error of approximation: 0.05 (<0.08), PCLOSE = 0.41, Comparative fit index: 0.909, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.902, Incremental Fit Index: 0.910 and, Standardized Root mean square residual: 0.067 (<0.08). The seven-factor model of the questionnaire met the criterion of good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73).ConclusionThis tool is deemed of methodological merits in terms of validity, reliability, and determining the underlying conceptual structure of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its associating factors.