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Bhadra A, Podder V, Islam MM, Devnath S, Hafiz I, Chowdhury KJ, Sujon H, Islam MR, Ali FM, Odo TI, Sudrul M, Roy S, Dey A, Hossain F, Kirshan Kumar S, Agarwala A, Kakoly NS. Unpacking COVID-19 Vaccine Attitudes: Exploring Hesitancy and Acceptance Among Undergraduate Students in Bangladesh. Cureus 2023; 15:e49576. [PMID: 38156187 PMCID: PMC10754296 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.49576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global health concern, and mass vaccination is essential in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Undergraduate students need to be prioritized for vaccination as they continue their academic curriculum physically. However, limited research explores vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study evaluated vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among this population. METHOD A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2021 using a structured questionnaire to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among undergraduate students in Bangladesh. The Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale was used to measure vaccine hesitancy. The study used convenient sampling. RESULT Across the country, 334 undergraduate students participated in this study on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, with a mean age of 22.4 years. Most participants were male and unmarried, most having spent four years at university. 89.52% of participants would accept a COVID-19 vaccine if it were suggested by educational institutions or available, while 4.49% refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants showed low levels of vaccine hesitancy, with a mean score of 10.77 on the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. Most participants had a positive attitude towards receiving the vaccine, with the majority wanting to get it as soon as it becomes available. No association was found between vaccine acceptance and participants' background characteristics. CONCLUSION Our study found a high level of vaccine acceptance among undergraduate students in Bangladesh, indicating that this group can be vaccinated quickly, significantly accelerating vaccination goals. However, further large-scale studies are recommended among vulnerable groups, including school and college students, to ensure vaccine preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vivek Podder
- Medical Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, USA
| | - Md Mynul Islam
- Applied Statistics and Data Science, Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, BGD
| | - Smriti Devnath
- Physiology, Popular Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, BGD
| | - Imtiaz Hafiz
- Public Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, FIN
| | | | - Hasnat Sujon
- Infectious Disease, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dhaka, BGD
- Infectious Disease, Infectious Diseases and One Health Program, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, DEU
| | | | - Fahim Mohammed Ali
- Trauma and Orthopaedics, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, Ashton-under-Lyne, GBR
| | - Thomas Ikechukwu Odo
- Infectious Disease, Infectious Diseases and One Health Program, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, DEU
| | | | - Sabyasachi Roy
- Diabetes and Endocrinology, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, GBR
| | - Anindita Dey
- Internal Medicine, Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley, GBR
| | | | | | - Abhishek Agarwala
- Computer Science and Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, BGD
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