Acceptance of a COVID-19 Vaccine Before it is Available in China During the Pandemic

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among foreign migrants in China

Background/Purpose

The COVID-19 outbreak created unique policy challenges for vaccinating special groups like migrants. As part of sustainable development goals, the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine can contribute to ensuring health for all. This study examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake among foreign migrants in China based on sociodemographics, cultural beliefs, past vaccine behaviors, and psychosocial factors.

Design

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among foreign migrants in mainland China via social media platforms from 21 November through 20 December 2021. Bivariate (unadjusted odd-ratio) and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to establish the correlates of COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Result

Surveyed foreign migrants that are culture neutral (AOR: 2.5, CI: 95%, 1.02-5.90, p = 0.044), willing to pay for vaccination (AOR: 2.27, CI: 95%, 1.18-3.98, p = 0.012), believe in vaccine efficacy (AOR: 3.00, CI: 95%, 1.75-5.16, p < 0.000), have poor psychological health (AOR: 1.96, CI: 95%, 1.14-3.38, p = 0 0.014), and have higher perceived seriousness of COVID-19 (AOR: 2.12, CI: 95%, 1.26-3.57, p = 0.005) are more likely to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Those migrants with a history of declining vaccination (AOR: 0.34, CI: 95%, 0.18-0.65, p = 0.000) and middle-income earners $1701-3500 (AOR: 0.43, CI: 95%, 0.23-0.82, p = 0.010) are less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Conclusion

This study brings a unique perspective to understanding vaccine behavior among international migrants in China. There is an urgent call from the World Health Organization and countries for complete vaccination and efforts to improve vaccine coverage. However, fewer studies have been conducted globally on the vaccination of migrant populations. The current study provides empirical information to increase the knowledge of the correlates of vaccine behavior among immigrants in countries around the globe. Future studies should conduct cross-country comparisons to understand the factors associated with increasing vaccination rates among immigrant populations to formulate a strong policy to increase vaccine coverage among immigrant populations across countries.

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among adults with diabetes and in the general population in Israel: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To explore and compare key determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and willingness to get vaccinated among people with diabetes and the general population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey study of 807 Israeli adults with and without diabetes was conducted prior to the first vaccination campaign in Israel in December 2020. Data was analyzed by population group and gender. A multinomial logistic regression determined the association between acceptance factors and willingness to get vaccinated.

RESULTS

Diabetes patients had more anxiety about COVID-19, higher levels of confidence in vaccine safety, and greater willingness to get vaccinated than the general population. In both groups, women reported higher levels of anxiety toward COVID-19 but lower levels of confidence in vaccine safety and less willingness to get vaccinated than men. Vaccine safety had the largest contribution to diabetes patients' willingness to get vaccinated. For participants without diabetes, the perception that more than 50% of Israelis would get vaccinated had the largest contribution. Participants in both groups who had vaccinated against seasonal influenza were more likely to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Policies aimed at improving vaccine acceptance should target vulnerable populations, particularly female diabetes patients, whose concerns must be addressed to increase their vaccination rates.

Individual Preferences for COVID-19 Vaccination under the China’s 2021 National Vaccination Policy: A Discrete Choice Experiment Study

(1) Background: Since China’s national vaccination policy announcement in January 2021, individual vaccination preferences related to vaccine characteristics, social relationships, sociodemographic characteristics and cognition remain opaque. This study aims to investigate vaccination preferences regarding these attributes, and to assess changes in individual vaccine preferences since the pre-2021 emergency vaccination phase. (2) Methods: The two-part questionnaire surveyed 849 individuals between May and June 2021 in Qingdao, China. The survey contained eight binary choice tasks that investigated preference trade-offs. Respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, including age, sex, urban/rural residence, income, education and whether living with the young or old, were also collected. Conditional logit, mixed logit and latent class models were used to quantify preference utility and identify preference heterogeneity. (3) Results: Vaccine effectiveness, vaccine side effects, duration of protection and probability of infection all significantly affected vaccination utility. Preference heterogeneity based on individual social relationships and sociodemographic characteristics were also established. Marginal analysis showed that compared to the pre-2021 phase, individuals’ preferences had shifted towards vaccines with longer protection periods and better accessibility. (4) Conclusion: This study will inform the full rollout of China’s 2021 national vaccination program and provide valuable information for future vaccination policy design to meet resurgent COVID-19 risks.