Social Environmental Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in India: A Population-Based Survey

Abstract

Background: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, trust within a community in the projected schemes or strategies to combat COVID-19 depends on the confidence generated and launched by the government and medical employees toward the public. The “vaccination intention” within a community is determined by a range of factors, which include sociodemographic features, personal beliefs, and attitude toward vaccination. Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted involving 2000 people using a Tencent questionnaire platform. One-way ANOVA was conducted for age, education, and occupation with vaccination intention for the COVID-19 vaccine. Correlation analysis was conducted between sources, trust, and vaccination intention indicating both types of sources (official and unofficial sources) and both types of trust (trust in the social environment and in vaccines). Results: The reception of the sources of information on the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly higher from official sources (M = 5.54, SD = 1.37) and government officials (M = 5.68, SD = 1.499) compared with that from experts in medicine (M = 5.39, SD = 1.511). Among the unofficial sources, “chatting and communicating with family and friends” scored the highest (M = 4.84, SD = 1.649). In the statistics on people’s trust in all aspects involved in vaccines, the level of trust in the social environment was significantly higher and more concentrated than in vaccines (M = 5.67, SD = 1.129). The level of trust in government (M = 5.80, SD = 1.256) was slightly higher than in medical personnel (M = 5.53, SD = 1.199). People’s willingness to be vaccinated was generally high (M = 78.15, SD = 22.354). The demographic factors were not influential in vaccination intention. Both sources (official and unofficial sources) and trust (trust in the social environment and in vaccines) are significantly and positively correlated with vaccination intention. Information receptions from official and unofficial sources were significant positive predictors of trust in the social environment, but they were not significant predictors of trust in vaccines. The mediating effect of trust in vaccines on the relationship between receiving information from official and unofficial sources and vaccination intention was insignificant. Conclusions: This study revealed that trust in the environment is an important channel linking people’s information reception and vaccination intention, explores a new path for health information communication, and attempts to provide new ideas for health information dissemination and promotion.

Chinese parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Therefore, as some previous studies have suggested, we should improve the accessibility and convenience of parents to accurate and easily accessible information about the COVID-19 vaccine, and increase the dissemination of information related to COVID-19 (41)(42)(43). As reported in previous articles, government and medical workers are trusted sources of information for people with the COVID-19 vaccine (16). Thus, consistent with previous research recommendations, the government cooperating with vaccine development companies and health care workers, should disclose more openly and transparently information about vaccine research, development processes, vaccine safety testing, and disseminate other accurate and reliable information about the COVID-19 vaccine to reduce parental concerns about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine (41,44).…”

“…Among several kinds of official or unofficial information sources, including medical advice, personal beliefs, web/social media, and television, one study ( 19 ) suggested that COVID-19 vaccination triggered intensive responses on social media among Chinese parents, as approximately 70% of the participants were sometimes or always exposed to information specific to COVID-19 vaccination on different social media platforms. Although some studies have suggested that interpersonal communication and the dissemination of information on social media exacerbate people's trust in false information, one study demonstrated that unofficial sources are indispensable health information publishers and disseminators during the current pandemic which will help people to increase the trust in the social environment, including trust in the government and medical personnel, and the vaccine, which played an important role in influencing people's conduct in terms of health protection from the perspective of the prevention and control of COVID-19 ( 16 ). Thus, social media need to be a powerful instrument to distribute the accuracy and objectivity of information and suggestions on the COVID-19 epidemic.…”

“…Previous studies already predicted that vaccine hesitancy could be a significant challenge for COVID-19 vaccine rollout (13,14). In addition, some prior literature studied in China, India, Canada, the United States and other countries and regions have published on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy or willingness demonstrating that the factors that are responsible for vaccine hesitancy or willingness range from social demographics, occupation, religious beliefs, and social and environmental trust (15)(16)(17)(18). In these studies, parents were more likely to be hesitant to vaccinate if they were female, younger, more concerned about the safety and efficiency of the vaccine, reluctant to vaccinate themselves, unaware of the risk of COVID-19 infection for themselves and their children, and distrustful of the social environment (16)(17)(18).…”

Do you take off your mask correctly? A survey during COVID-19 pandemic in Ningbo, China

“…Social media may have a positive effect on health literacy behavior. Netizens have the highest trust in national media network platforms and local government websites [ 28 ]. The government should enhance the power and influence of information dissemination in knowledge popularization, news reporting, and information dissemination, carry out social education, and implement COVID-19 prevention and safety measures [ 29 ].…”

Attitudes toward the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination intention among German university students and the general population: Results from two cross-sectional surveys

“…Furthermore, the role of media/social media has also been investigated: Vaccine hesitant/resistant respondents from the United Kingdom were found to consume more information about the COVID-19 pandemic from social media, but less information from newspapers, television, and radio ( 17 ). Overall, social environment factors play an important role in vaccine intention as well as perception of the pandemic ( 18 ).…”