STRIVE WA Collaborative, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Aust J Rural Health. 2023 Dec;31(6):1240-1251. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13047. Epub 2023 Oct 15.
Vaccine hesitancy represents a state of uncertainty before a decision about vaccination is made. It can lead to limited vaccine uptake despite adequate supply and an efficacious product. Western Australia (WA) presents a unique challenge with a population widely spread across metropolitan and rural sites and diverse opinions regarding vaccination.
To elicit and compare the common COVID-19 vaccine concerns in rural and metropolitan WA, and to identify proposed solutions to vaccine hesitancy.
A voluntary online survey was distributed via social media over a 2-week period in August 2021 during Phase 2A of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Strategy. General practitioners and members of the public living in rural and metropolitan WA over the age of 18 were surveyed regarding COVID-19 vaccine concerns (blood clots; long- and short-term side effects; lack of testing; and other concerns) and suggested methods to address vaccine hesitancy. Data were analysed with a sequential mixed methods and thematic analysis approach.
There were 468 general population respondents to our survey, of whom 19.0% (n = 89) lived rurally. A majority (52.6% [n = 246]) of general respondents expressed concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety. The commonest concerns were long- and short-term side effects, blood clots and inadequate testing. There was a positive correlation between rurality and vaccine concerns; an inverse relationship between rurality and vaccine uptake; and an inverse relationship between vaccine concerns and uptake. Improved media coverage was the commonest solution suggested to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
A significant proportion of respondents had concerns about vaccine safety; concerns were more common in rural respondents. Rural communities may benefit from location-targeted media campaigns with a focus on breaking down barriers specific to these members of the population. Vaccine access is more challenging, and consistent messaging from trusted sources is of utmost importance to improve uptake.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is more common in rural populations. Targeted media-based education regarding vaccine safety may improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
疫苗犹豫是在做出接种疫苗的决定之前，一种不确定的状态。尽管供应充足且产品有效，但这种犹豫会导致疫苗接种率有限。西澳大利亚州（WA）面临着独特的挑战，其人口分布广泛，分布在城市和农村地区，对疫苗接种的看法也各不相同。
在 WA 农村和城市地区，了解和比较人们对 COVID-19 疫苗的共同担忧，并确定解决疫苗犹豫的建议方案。
2021 年 8 月，在国家 COVID-19 疫苗推广策略的第 2A 阶段，通过社交媒体在两周内分发了一份自愿的在线调查。调查对象是年龄在 18 岁以上的居住在 WA 农村和城市地区的全科医生和公众，内容是关于 COVID-19 疫苗的担忧（血栓；长期和短期副作用；缺乏测试；以及其他担忧）以及解决疫苗犹豫的建议方法。数据采用顺序混合方法和主题分析方法进行分析。
我们的调查收到了 468 名普通民众的回复，其中 19.0%（n=89）居住在农村地区。大多数（52.6%[n=246]）普通受访者对 COVID-19 疫苗的安全性表示担忧。最常见的担忧是长期和短期副作用、血栓和测试不足。农村地区与疫苗担忧呈正相关；农村地区与疫苗接种呈反比；疫苗担忧与接种率呈反比。改善媒体报道是解决 COVID-19 疫苗犹豫的最常见建议。
相当一部分受访者对疫苗安全性表示担忧；农村地区的担忧更为常见。农村社区可能受益于针对这些人群的有针对性的基于媒体的宣传活动，重点是消除特定的障碍。疫苗的可及性更具挑战性，因此，从值得信赖的来源提供一致的信息对于提高接种率至关重要。
COVID-19 疫苗犹豫在农村地区更为常见。针对疫苗安全性的基于媒体的教育可能会提高 COVID-19 疫苗的接种率。
