RUMOURS, CONSPIRACY BELIEFS AND COVID-19 VACCINATION ATTITUDES IN BULGARIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Aim. This study aims to examine, in the Bulgarian context, the relationships between vaccination attitudes and acceptance on the one hand, and use of communication channels, trust in medical authorities, and belief in misleading information on the other. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study of Bulgarian respondents was conducted between April and May 2022 using a self-administered online survey with 1,200 participants. Logistic regression models were implemented to examine first, the association between conspiracy beliefs and COVID-19 vaccination uptake and second, between susceptibility to misinformation, sociodemographic variables, trust in medical authorities, and the use of information sources. Results. People who agreed with at least one of the conspiratorial statements were 8.56 times more likely to decline immunization. Belief in rumours and conspiracy theories was associated with a higher perceived risk of adverse events and lower perceived benefits of vaccination. In the logistic regression models, age, residence, and mistrust were associated with believing in rumours and conspiracy theories. Sourcing information from health authorities was negatively associated with belief in rumours while getting information from relatives and friends had the opposite effect. Conclusions. Misinformation had a significant impact on vaccine uptake. More efforts are needed to dispel myths and rumours surrounding vaccination.

Keywords

• covid-19 vaccine
• misinformation
• conspiracy theories
• rumours
• vaccine hesitancy