Factors Affecting Hesitancy to mRNA and Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines among College Students in Italy

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) may be significant in jeopardizing efforts to mass containment of COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on a sample of 2667 Italian college students, before the COVID-19 vaccines became available for this age group (from 7 May to 31 May 2021). An online survey was created to obtain information about socio-demographic, health-related, and psychological factors linked to mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines. Statistically significant higher VH (30.4%) and vaccine resistance (12.2%) rates were found for viral vector than mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (7.2% and 1.0%, respectively; p < 0.001). Factors related to viral vector VH were partially different from those related to mRNA VH. Students with greater endorsement on conspiracy statements and negative attitudes toward the vaccine had higher odds of being vaccine-hesitant or -resistant. Students who had received a previous COVID-19 test and who scored higher on the agreeableness personality dimension had lower odds to be vaccine-hesitant or -resistant. The willingness to choose the vaccine was related to the viral vector but not to the mRNA VH. Taking into consideration the factors involved in vaccine hesitancy/resistance in college students could represent a key public health strategy to increase vaccine coverage and reduce viral spreading.

Willingness to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine and Associated Factors among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Shanghai, China

“…Compared to the general population, older adults may have a higher vaccination intention [ 37 , 38 ], as the COVID-19 vaccination rate among the general population aged 18 years and older ranged from 60.4% to 83.8% [ 34 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. We also found that among the elderly population willing to be vaccinated, more people preferred to use domestic vaccines, coinciding with a previous study that suggested that 64.2% of the surveyed population preferred to use domestic vaccines [ 42 , 43 ]. The higher willingness to vaccinate among the elderly in this study may be due to the following reasons: first, the clinical trials for the vaccine are more complete at this stage, and its safety and reliability are guaranteed; second, the elderly population may be more willing to receive a vaccination due to their susceptibility and the threat of comorbidities.…”

“…A more objective assessment indicator could be considered subsequently to explore the vaccination willingness and its influencing factors in a nationally representative group of older adults. Thirdly, the acceptability might vary with different types of COVID-19 vaccines, and our study did not differentiate between the different types of COVID-19 vaccines [ 43 ]. The willingness to vaccinate against different types of COVID-19 vaccines is worth further exploration.…”

The Role of Existential Concerns in the Individual’s Decisions regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Survey among Non-Vaccinated Italian Adults during the Third Wave of the Pandemic

“…Vaccine hesitancy was evaluated with two questions (one for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and one for the AstraZeneca vaccine) adapted from a previous study [ 39 ]. Participants were asked to rate their intentions to be vaccinated (“ Several COVID-19 vaccines are currently available.…”

“…Moreover, since previous studies [ 39 ] showed that VH is higher for viral vector (e.g., the AstraZeneca vaccine) than mRNA (e.g., the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) COVID-19 vaccines, and that factors related to viral vector VH were partially different from those related to mRNA VH, in the current study we examine VH separately for Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines. It has been hypothesized that the relationships between ECs, BPNs, attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and VH should be stronger for the AstraZeneca vaccine.…”

Vaccinating to Protect Others: The Role of Self-Persuasion and Empathy among Young Adults

“…One of the major challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging young adults to take the vaccine to increase the chances of populations achieving herd immunity [3,4]. To date, a number of motivational barriers to vaccination against COVID-19 have been identified among young people, including belief in conspiracy theories [18] and a lack of confidence in the safety, authenticity and efficacy of vaccination [19,20]. Young adults are less concerned about COVID-19 than older adults [21,22], as this disease does not pose a great risk to young adults' health [23].…”