Demographic factors associated with acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal of COVID-19 vaccine among residents of Sukkur during lockdown: A cross sectional study from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization has identified vaccine hesitancy among one of the top 10 threats to global health. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has devastated global health with higher morbidities and mortality rates. Reducing vaccine hesitancy could achieve immunization. However, different sociodemographic conditions can also hamper these efforts in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of the present study was to assess the demographic factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal among the general Pakistani population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted during the months of February-March 2021 during the pandemic. Sample size was 479. Snowball sampling strategy was used for data collection. Study questionnaires were distributed online using e-mail, twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

RESULT

The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was 40.5%, vaccine hesitancy was 29%, and vaccine refusal was 30% among the study participants. Compared to younger, the vaccine hesitancy and refusal was higher in older people age > 30 years (χ = 7.45, = .02). Compared to males, vaccine refusal was high among females (χ = 7.45, = .02). Vaccine refusal was higher in people with less educated <12 compared to more education (χ = 28.68, < .0001).

CONCLUSION

Older people, females, and less education groups are at more risk of COVID-19 infections due to vaccine hesitancy and refusal. We recommend these groups should be focused in COVID-19 vaccine education programs.