Authors : Mundackal, R; Agarwal, T; Murali, K; Isaac, NV; Hu, P; Dhayal, V; Mony, PK.
Publication Year : May–Jun 2022
Studying vaccine hesitancy is important for helping improve vaccine coverage against COVID-19. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a rural community in India.
A cross-sectional study of all adults aged over 18 yr was undertaken during July-August 2021, in a village outside Bengaluru city in southern India.
In our study, 68.7 per cent of the eligible 297 adult population accepted vaccination immediately, another 9.4 per cent hesitated but accepted vaccination without delay, a further 10.4 per cent delayed their vaccination and the remaining 11.5 per cent refused vaccination. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of vaccine hesitancy was 21.9±4.8 per cent. Full vaccination was higher among males (76%) compared to females (58%, P<0>
Vaccine uptake is a continuum. Our study helped identify the characteristics of those who delayed vaccination versus those who refused vaccination. This will help policymakers, programme managers and healthcare professionals to focus priority action on population subgroups for improving individual- and population-level protection.
https://journals.lww.com/ijmr/Fulltext/2022/05000/Prevalence___correlates_of_COVID_19_vaccine.6.aspx