COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal and associated factors in an adult population in Saskatchewan, Canada: Evidence from predictive modelling

Abstract

Background A high population level of vaccination is required to control the COVID-19 pandemic, but not all Canadians are convinced of the value and safety of vaccination. Understanding more about these individuals can aid in developing strategies to increase their acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. The objectives of this study were to describe COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy and refusal rates and associated factors in Saskatchewan, Canada. Methods This is a cross-sequential study that consisted of pooled responses from weighted samples of 9,252 Saskatchewan adults (≥18 years) across nine rounds of data collection between May 4, 2020 and April 3, 2021. The outcome variable was vaccine intention: vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal. The independent variables were layered into socio-demographic factors, risk of exposure to coronavirus, mitigating behaviours, and perceptions of COVID-19. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression and a classification and regression tree. Results Seventy-six percent of the respondents indicated that they had been or were willing to be vaccinated, 13% had not yet decided, and the remaining 11% said they would not be vaccinated. Factors that increased the likelihood of vaccine refusal and hesitancy were lower education level, financial instability, Indigenous status, and not being concerned about spreading the coronavirus. Perceiving COVID-19 to be more of a threat to one’s community and believing that one had a higher risk of illness or death from COVID-19 decreased the likelihood of both vaccine refusal and hesitancy. Women and newcomers to Canada were more likely to be unsure about getting vaccinated. Respondents who did not plan to be vaccinated were less likely to wear face masks and practice physical distancing. Conclusion While many Canadians have voluntarily and eagerly become vaccinated already, reaching sufficient coverage of the population is likely to require targeted efforts to convince those who are resistant or unsure. Identifying and overcoming any barriers to vaccination that exist within the socio-demographic groups we found were least likely to be vaccinated is a crucial component.

Reasons for COVID-19 vaccine refusal among people incarcerated in Canadian federal prisons

“…To limit these biases and to ensure honest dialogue, participants were reminded that they could withdraw from the study without repercussions. That said, similar reasons for vaccine hesitancy have been reported in the Canadian general population, suggesting that social desirability bias was minimal [ 54 , 55 ]. Despite these limitations, this study is an important contribution to the scarce literature on COVID-19 vaccine refusal among incarcerated individuals [ 56 ] and may be generalizable to other correctional settings outside Canada and to populations who may share similar sociodemographic characteristics such as people who inject drugs, homeless communities, and migrants.…”

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and rejection in an adult population in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…Besides demographic data, our study includes independent variables such as acceptance and knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines, but does not include variables such as mitigating factors: usage of face masks indoors, physical distancing, current health status, and prior positivity for SARS-CoV-2 [ 43 ]. For example, one of the possible limitations is that the survey did not have a question on prior positivity for SARS-CoV-2, which could change the participant’s attitude towards vaccination.…”

Characteristics Associated with the Dual Behavior of Mask Wearing and Vaccine Acceptance: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Study among Adults in Saskatchewan

“…Commonly reported reasons for COVID-19 vaccine refusal in the literature include anxiety about vaccine side effects, lack of knowledge about vaccine effectiveness, and mistrust of the vaccine approval process [ 6 , 7 ]. Similarly, self-reported mask wearing was observed at 83.2% in Saskatchewan during June 2020 [ 8 ]. Commonly reported reasons associated with not wearing a mask include living in a rural setting, a lower perceived threat of COVID-19, and a lack of concern of being infected [ 9 , 10 ].…”