Will People Accept a Third Booster Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine? A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Abstract

ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are considered to be an effective way to prevent the spread of the infection. Our previous study has shown that about 75% of healthcare workers (HCWs) in China were willing to receive the vaccine when it became available. Here, we examined the acceptance of a third booster dose among Chinese people and identified the influencing factors.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted and the snowball sampling method was utilized. An online questionnaire was provided to all the participants in the form of a quick response (QR) code. The questionnaire included general demographic information, views on vaccines, the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The univariate analysis was done between all the variables and our dependent variable. Then, we used the multivariate logistic regression model to examine the influencing factors of the third booster dose acceptance.ResultsWe collected 1,062 complete answers. Of these, 90.39% (n = 960) declared that they would accept the booster dose. Knowing more about the vaccine and recognizing the efficacy of vaccines were significantly associated with greater acceptance of the booster dose. People willing to take the booster dose had better psychological health. A belief that the booster dose could prevent severe infection caused by COVID-19 and enhance the effectiveness of the first two doses were the main contributing factors to vaccine acceptance. Vaccine hesitancy was mainly due to a low perceived risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionThis study revealed that Chinese people were very receptive to the third booster dose, which is an inspiring result. More positive attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccination were supported by its efficacy and few side effects.

Drivers of and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Acceptance in Indonesia

“…This is in line with our previous findings, which suggested that public education on the benefits of vaccines needs to be improved in order to increase vaccine uptake [39]. Another study also found people who believe that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective were 7.95 times more likely to receive a third or booster dose compared to those who do not [40]. Therefore, information on the effectiveness of the vaccine should be well-communicated through simple and effective techniques to community members so that they are well-informed.…”

Why Some People Are Hesitant to Receive COVID-19 Boosters: A Systematic Review

“…Vaccine-associated adverse events were the most frequently reported predictor of CBVH in 27 studies (64.29%). The main drivers for CBVH were fear about the side effects of booster vaccines [ 4 , 21 , 30 , 45 , 47 , 50 ], the severity of side effects associated with previous COVID-19 vaccines [ 26 , 29 , 31 , 34 ], concerns about adverse reactions to booster vaccines [ 6 , 52 ], adverse reactions experienced personally or among friends and family following previous COVID-19 vaccinations [ 5 , 7 , 30 , 52 ], and receipt of medical care following the COVID-19 vaccine primary doses [ 37 ]. Other studies reported uncertainty, risk, and safety concerns associated with booster doses [ 5 , 13 , 20 , 26 , 43 , 44 , 49 , 53 ].…”

“…Perceptions of the benefits and effectiveness of boosters were frequent determinants of CBVH. Greater CBVH rates were associated with a lack of confidence and trust in the effectiveness of the booster dose [ 2 , 4 , 8 , 30 , 31 , 47 , 51 ], concerns or uncertainty about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines [ 5 , 6 , 21 , 44 , 50 , 52 ], and low perceived benefits of boosters [ 34 , 43 , 49 ]. Similarly, high response efficacy (i.e., the belief that receiving a booster will prevent COVID-19) was significantly associated with lower hesitancy among Chinese adults [ 20 ].…”

Assessing COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Hesitancy Using the Modified 5C Scale in Zhejiang Province, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…With this scale, we found that the COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy was 14.81% in Zhejiang Province during November to December 2021, which was roughly consistent with the national investigation in China (16.1%) conducted in late January 2022 with an online sample of 898 [ 37 ]. Other two domestic web-based national surveys [ 36 , 41 ] carried out during November–December 2021 with thousands of samples demonstrated much higher booster acceptance rate (90.39%, 93.5%), which may be due to the different geographical region and epidemic background. It is likely that the hesitance will largely decline as China has started to ease COVID-19 restrictions since December 2022 due to decreasing pathogenicity of the Omicron variant, which may promote booster acceptance to cope with step-by-step reopening policy.…”

“…It is urgent for policymakers to explore the obstructions and underlying concerns of the booster, so as to encourage timely interventions to promote acceptance. Although previous studies [ 23 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ] conducted similar surveys on booster hesitancy, the influential factors varied with different policy background, COVID-19 prevalence and predominant variants, COVID-19 vaccine type and supply capacity, public awareness of vaccine literacy and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), as well as investigation periods and religious beliefs.…”