Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, waning immunity, and breakthrough infections prompted the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight against the pandemic. India started booster doses in January 2022 and it is critical to determine the intention of booster dose uptake and its correlat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1048 |
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| author | Geetanjali C. Achrekar Kavita Batra Yashashri Urankar Ravi Batra Naved Iqbal Sabiha A. Choudhury Deepti Hooda Roohi Khan Suraj Arora Aditi Singh Francesco Chirico Manoj Sharma |
| author_facet | Geetanjali C. Achrekar Kavita Batra Yashashri Urankar Ravi Batra Naved Iqbal Sabiha A. Choudhury Deepti Hooda Roohi Khan Suraj Arora Aditi Singh Francesco Chirico Manoj Sharma |
| author_sort | Geetanjali C. Achrekar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, waning immunity, and breakthrough infections prompted the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight against the pandemic. India started booster doses in January 2022 and it is critical to determine the intention of booster dose uptake and its correlates. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate booster dose acceptability and associated predictors among the Indian population. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a sample of 687 Indian residents. A 55-item psychometric validated survey tool was used to assess booster dose acceptability, vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Over 50% of participants reported their willingness to take the booster dose. Among the group not willing to take the booster dose (<i>n</i> = 303, 44.1%), a significantly larger proportion of respondents were unvaccinated with the primary series (12.2% vs. 5.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), had an annual income below 2.96 lacs/annum (52.8% vs. 33.1, <i>p</i> < 0.001), were residents of rural areas (38.0% vs. 23.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), were not living with vulnerable individuals (78.5% vs. 65.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and did not have family/friends who had tested positive for COVID-19 (54.6% vs. 35.1%, <i>p</i> = 0.001). Demographic, vaccine variables and multi-theory model subscales to predict the initiation of booster dose among hesitant participants were statistically significant, R<sub>2</sub> = 0.561, F (26, 244) = 11.978, <i>p</i> < 0.001; adjusted R<sub>2</sub> = 0.514. Findings of this study highlight the need to develop evidence-based interventions to promote vaccine uptake, particularly among hard-to-reach communities living in developing countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1f4f0e41bd64799835d5cc106acc4b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1f4f0e41bd64799835d5cc106acc4b62023-12-01T22:46:10ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2022-06-01107104810.3390/vaccines10071048Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from IndiaGeetanjali C. Achrekar0Kavita Batra1Yashashri Urankar2Ravi Batra3Naved Iqbal4Sabiha A. Choudhury5Deepti Hooda6Roohi Khan7Suraj Arora8Aditi Singh9Francesco Chirico10Manoj Sharma11Department of Economics, GVMs College of Commerce and Economics, Ponda Goa 403401, IndiaDepartment of Medical Education, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89102, USACommunity Health Centers of South-Central Texas, Gonzales, TX 78629, USADepartment of Information Technology, Coforge Ltd., Atlanta, GA 30338, USADepartment of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Mizoram University, Tanhril, Aizaw l796004, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, IndiaAcademics Department, London School of Commerce, Chaucer House, White Hart Yard, London SE1 1NX, UKDepartment of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89102, USAPost-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89119, USAThe emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, waning immunity, and breakthrough infections prompted the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight against the pandemic. India started booster doses in January 2022 and it is critical to determine the intention of booster dose uptake and its correlates. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate booster dose acceptability and associated predictors among the Indian population. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a sample of 687 Indian residents. A 55-item psychometric validated survey tool was used to assess booster dose acceptability, vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Over 50% of participants reported their willingness to take the booster dose. Among the group not willing to take the booster dose (<i>n</i> = 303, 44.1%), a significantly larger proportion of respondents were unvaccinated with the primary series (12.2% vs. 5.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), had an annual income below 2.96 lacs/annum (52.8% vs. 33.1, <i>p</i> < 0.001), were residents of rural areas (38.0% vs. 23.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), were not living with vulnerable individuals (78.5% vs. 65.2%, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and did not have family/friends who had tested positive for COVID-19 (54.6% vs. 35.1%, <i>p</i> = 0.001). Demographic, vaccine variables and multi-theory model subscales to predict the initiation of booster dose among hesitant participants were statistically significant, R<sub>2</sub> = 0.561, F (26, 244) = 11.978, <i>p</i> < 0.001; adjusted R<sub>2</sub> = 0.514. Findings of this study highlight the need to develop evidence-based interventions to promote vaccine uptake, particularly among hard-to-reach communities living in developing countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1048COVID-19vaccine hesitancyvaccine literacyfunctional literacycommunicative literacycritical literacy |
| spellingShingle | Geetanjali C. Achrekar Kavita Batra Yashashri Urankar Ravi Batra Naved Iqbal Sabiha A. Choudhury Deepti Hooda Roohi Khan Suraj Arora Aditi Singh Francesco Chirico Manoj Sharma Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India Vaccines COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy vaccine literacy functional literacy communicative literacy critical literacy |
| title | Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India |
| title_full | Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India |
| title_fullStr | Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India |
| title_short | Assessing COVID-19 Booster Hesitancy and Its Correlates: An Early Evidence from India |
| title_sort | assessing covid 19 booster hesitancy and its correlates an early evidence from india |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy vaccine literacy functional literacy communicative literacy critical literacy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1048 |
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