Intentions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in Females Aged 15–49 Years

Abstract

To control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Japanese government is promoting vaccination, which many people are willing to accept; however, some are reluctant to receive vaccinations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the intentions of women aged 15–49 years regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and to identify methods of promoting vaccination. We used secondary data from a web research company of approximately 1020 participants. The data contained the following variables: vaccination status, reasons for not getting vaccinated, and the intentions and reasons related to the third vaccination. We categorized the reasons using text data and evaluated the age-related differences. The proportion of women aged 15–49 years who refused COVID-19 vaccination in Japan was 17.0%, and the rate was not significantly different by age group. The most common reasons were safety and side effect concerns. Of those who received the second vaccination, 32.7% hesitated or refused the third vaccination, and the rate was not significantly different by age group. The reasons were side-effect concerns, a lack of information, and the influence of their surroundings. Addressing the side effects and providing adequate information may help promote vaccination among women aged 15–49 years.

Comparison of Impressions of COVID-19 Vaccinations Stratified by the Number of Vaccinations Among Japanese Healthcare Professional University Students

“…Muscillo et al evaluated impressions of COVID-19 vaccinations in 395 Italian high school students using a selective questionnaire in a cross-sectional study and men with vaccinations were found to have become more pessimistic [ 9 ]. In Japan, Kajiwara et al investigated the reasons for hesitations to get vaccinated in 1020 women aged 15-49 years using a selective questionnaire [ 10 ]. Okamoto et al also examined impressions of COVID-19 vaccinations in 2160 university students and 2289 teachers and staff using a selective questionnaire via e-mail [ 11 ].…”

Association between COVID-19 vaccines and the menstrual cycle in young Japanese women

“…Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, this survey was the first to investigate this phenomenon. Young women are shown to be more likely to have side effects from the vaccine [ 5 ], leading to hesitancy in getting vaccinated [ 4 ]. The results of this study may provide important information in the promotion of future vaccination to young women.…”

“…Administration of the third dose of the vaccine is being promoted by the Japanese government; however, the vaccination rate remains at approximately 53%. One-third of young Japanese women who were administered a second dose of the vaccine have been reported to be hesitant to receive their third dose because of concerns regarding its side effects and the lack of information [ 4 ]. Furthermore, some reports have also suggested that women and young adults have experienced severe side effects from the vaccines [ 5 ] and are thus hesitant to receive further vaccination [ [6] , [7] , [8] ].…”