COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Spain and associated factors

Abstract

IntroductionThe present study explores the reasons of those who have not been vaccinated in the later stage of the vaccine rollout in Spain and its associated determinants.MethodsCluster and logistic regression analyses were used to assess differences in claimed reasons for vaccine hesitancy in Spain using two samples of unvaccinated people (18–40 years old) gathered by an online cross-sectional survey from social networks (n = 910) and from a representative panel (n = 963) in October-November 2021.ResultsThe main reasons for not being vaccinated were believing that the COVID-19 vaccines had been developed too fast, they were experimental, and they were not safe, endorsed by 68.7% participants in the social network sample and 55.4% in the panel sample. The cluster analysis classified the participants into two groups. Logistic regression showed that Cluster 2 (individuals who reported structural constraints and health-related reasons such as pregnancy or medical recommendation) presented a lower trust in information from health professionals, had a lower willingness to get vaccinated in the future, and avoided less social/family events than those in Cluster 1 (reasons centered in distrust on COVID-19 vaccines, conspiracy thoughts and complacency).ConclusionsIt is important to promote information campaigns that provide reliable information and fight fake news and myths. Future vaccination intention differs in both clusters, so these results are important for developing strategies target to increase vaccination uptake for those who do not reject the COVID-19 vaccine completely.

COVID-19 Vaccine Knowledge, Attitude, Acceptance and Hesitancy among Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Systematic Review of Hospital-Based Studies

“…The rapid development of the currently available vaccines has mitigated the growing burden of COVID-19, reducing the risk of infection, with a specific impact on symptomatic and severe disease, and has increased confidence of HCWs and the general population [71]. Despite benefits of immunization programs, hesitancy persists in specific subgroups [72][73][74] during the first phases of vaccination campaigns [75].…”

Comparative Analysis of Primary and Monovalent Booster SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Coverage in Adults with and without HIV in Catalonia, Spain

“…These findings underscore the significant efforts made by the Government of Spain and the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Products (AEMPS) to implement nationwide vaccination strategies, particularly emphasizing access for the most vulnerable groups. They also underline historical vaccine acceptance and favourable willingness to be vaccinated in Spain [ 27 ]. However, it is worth noting that while our observed primary vaccination rate exceeds the regional average, it falls slightly below the reported 84.9% for the same period in Spain [ 28 ].…”

Association Between Pandemic Fatigue and Disease Knowledge, Attitudes, Concerns, and Vaccination Intention at Two Key Moments of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…However, the COVID-19 vaccination intention between these two rounds increased by 43% in 1 year [ 17 ]. At the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines generated much controversy due to their rapid development process, fears of health problems or lasting side effects, anti-vaccine beliefs, and the need for more information on the factors associated with not vaccinating [ 19 , 20 ]. The high levels of acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among the population in Spain have had a great epidemiological impact on the decrease in hospitalisation and mortality rates [ 6 , 21 ].…”