Psychological antecedent of Coronavirus vaccination: An observational study in India

Abstract

Background: In December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was identified as the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a part of control measures against COVID-19, vaccination started in India from January 16, 2021. People's hesitancy may become an important challenge in the immunization campaign against COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the confidence of the general public and acceptance of the vaccines in India. Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between February 21, 2021, and March 10, 2021, by Google Forms utilizing a snowball sampling method. The psychological antecedents of vaccination for COVID-19 in India were assessed using a 15-item (3 items per antecedent) 5C scale. Results: The study received 720 responses, out of which 466 (64.72%) participants were willing to accept the CoV vaccines. Data were analyzed using STATCRAFT online statistical software version 2.0 (Bangalore, Karnataka, India). The participants who expressed more confidence in vaccines (odds ratio [OR] =1.818, P < 0.001) and who took a calculated decision (OR = 1.183, P = 0.001) were more likely to accept CoV vaccines while the participants who were complacent (OR = 0.852, P < 0.001) and who took collective responsibility (OR = 0.891, P = 0.033) were less likely to accept CoV vaccines. Conclusion: The findings of this study point to the importance of confidence, constraints, and calculation for vaccines among the Indian population, so that policymakers can monitor the acceptance for the vaccines and can plan future strategies to address hesitancy issues more effectively.

Keywords

• coronavirus disease-2019
• psychological antecedents
• public health
• vaccination coverage
• vaccination refusal
• vaccines