COVID-19 Immunisation, Willingness to Be Vaccinated and Vaccination Strategies to Improve Vaccine Uptake in Australia

Abstract

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is crucial to lifting community and economic restrictions. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess: (a) COVID-19 vaccine uptake and associated factors; (b) COVID-19 vaccine intentions and associated factors; (c) community support for COVID-19 vaccination strategies and associated factors. The survey was conducted between May and July 2021 in Australia. Of 3003 participants, 30% reported they were already vaccinated and 39% indicated they would get vaccinated. Low socioeconomic and education levels, non-English speaking backgrounds and being parents were associated with decreased vaccine willingness and/or vaccination rates. High levels of support for vaccination strategies were demonstrated with mandatory vaccination being less preferable. Respondents from non-English speaking backgrounds were more likely to support a mandatory vaccination policy. Respondents with the highest socioeconomic level were more likely to support vaccination requirements for international travel, visiting nursing homes and working in healthcare settings. Respondents who were aged ≥70 years were more likely to support all proposed vaccination strategies. Targeted campaigns should be implemented for parents and those who live in socioeconomic disadvantaged areas and have lower educational attainment. Concise and clear vaccine information should be provided in lay and multiple languages to improve vaccine confidence. Vaccine enforcement policies should be considered and implemented with caution.

Characteristics of the Third COVID-19 Pandemic Wave with Special Focus on Socioeconomic Inequalities in Morbidity, Mortality and the Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccination in Hungary

“…The deprivation index is a multidimensional index that considers and combines several socioeconomic factors, including educational level. Several studies have confirmed that education significantly influences the willingness to accept vaccination, as those with lower education are more likely to refuse COVID-19 vaccination [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Since education is one of the most important (if not the most important) determinants of the deprivation index [ 20 ], it is assumed that higher education and the related higher willingness to accept vaccination may be a decisive factor for the higher vaccination coverage identified in more advantaged socioeconomic areas.…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Denmark and Russia: A qualitative typology at the nexus of agency and health capital

“…No matter what, campaigns aiming to mitigate vaccine hesitancy should to a larger degree address social and cultural aspects in addition to economic ones, which policymakers already have paid attention to when offering vaccination without user payments and even offering economic incentives such as high-stake lotteries. The need for a nuanced view of vaccine hesitancy for developing tailored communication and mitigation campaigns is widely recognized in diverse contexts including, but not limited to, Australia ( Wang et al, 2021 ), Italy ( Moscardino et al, 2022 ), and Africa ( Mutombo et al, 2022 ). This notwithstanding, so far, only a few countries have transcended a focus on simple started tailoring their campaigns to specific population segments such as culturally-defined groups ( Rosen et al, 2021 ).…”

Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection by age: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…An online survey found a higher proportion of parents refused vaccination for their child than the proportion of adults who refused COVID-19 vaccination for themselves. 75…”

“…An online survey found a higher proportion of parents refused vaccination for their child than the proportion of adults who refused COVID-19 vaccination for themselves. 75 Since current mRNA vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission with the Omicron variant, further studies are needed on variant-specific mRNA vaccines and other vaccine platforms. Vaccines with a potential to prevent infection in addition to severe COVID-19 could help reduce community transmission and provide population protection as with the nasal influenza vaccines for children.…”