Dataset Information

Evaluating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A qualitative study from Vietnam.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to COVID-19 vaccination programs. This study aimed to examine the public attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, the variance of these attitudes, and associated determinants within a large COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam.

Methods

Two focus group discussions were conducted online with 20 people from different socio-economic and profession backgrounds. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Key themes were extracted using reflexive thematic analysis method.

Results

Four distinct, non-static attitudes including acceptance, conditional acceptance, hesitancy, and anti-vaccination were found. Themes identified as determinants of these attitudes were external factors, internal factors, and risk-benefit self-assessment regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

Conclusions

We found mixed, non-static COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. People's vaccination risk-benefit self-assessment greatly determines the variance of their attitudes over time. Given high public trust in the authorities, the government should take the lead to counter COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. To increase acceptance, vaccine advertising campaigns should focus on providing information about the dangers of COVID-19, the ability to manage side-effects at the vaccination centers, and updated, precise information on both the outbreak and vaccines. Future research is needed to identify the public most common COVID-19 information channels to enable effective community education.

SUBMITTER: Duong MC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8656146 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectivesThe discovery and subsequent manufacture of various types of COVID-19 vaccines were considered a breakthrough in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines warranted vulnerable populations such as people living with chronic non-communicable diseases and the elderly to be prioritised for vaccination. Nevertheless, the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines among these populations was suboptimal. In this study, we aimed to describe the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people living with chronic non-communicable diseases in Ibadan, Nigeria.MethodWe applied qualitative methods to explore the feelings and thoughts of people living with chronic non-communicable diseases towards COVID-19 vaccines, at a tertiary hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were obtained from 25 people living with chronic conditions through in-depth interviews. We thematically analysed the transcripts inductively and deductively. Dedoose qualitative data management software was used to manage the data.FindingsEmerging subthemes were grouped into two major themes: Hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine related to biological concerns and those related to sociopolitical issues. Hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine associated with biological factors included: (1) concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine worsening the underlying chronic condition; (2) fear of harmful physiological consequences; (3) concerns over insufficient testing of vaccine for safety and (4) perceived vaccine infectiveness. Sociopolitical factors were related to (1) misconceptions of vaccines as a treatment for those with COVID-19; (2) mistrust of manufacturers ('the whites'); (3) mistrust of government and (4) COVID-19 misinformation.ConclusionPublic health education on the nature and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine is urgently needed among people living with chronic non-communicable diseases. These measures could improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake and healthcare usage in general. Paying attention to these factors could have implications for the management of the next global pandemic requiring mass vaccination.