Objective To examine the prevalence and influencing factors of vaccine hesitation among adult citizens during a major public health emergency for promoting vaccination in China.
Methods Using random sampling and a self-designed questionnaire on vaccine hesitation and its associates, we conducted an online survey among 4 325 citizens aged 18 – 59 years in five provincial level administrative divisions (Guangdong, Hubei, Hebei, and Heilongjiang province and Beijing municipality) across China during February – March, 2021, a period of with a major public health emergency.
Results Of the 4 169 eligible respondents, 1 479 (35.5%) reported vaccine hesitation. The results of unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the respondents with following characteristics were more likely to have vaccine hesitation: being female, suffering from chronic diseases, with poor self-rated health, with high perceived risk of the epidemic, and being highly concerned about the epidemic-related information; while, the respondents ever having influenza vaccination, reporting a high community responsibility, with relatives/friends/colleagues being vaccinated with coronoavirus disease vaccine, and with the cognition on the efficacy and the safety of the coronavirus disease vaccine were less likely to have the vaccine hesitation.
Conclusion Vaccine hesitation was prevalent among adult citizens in China during a major public health emergency and the hesitation was associated with gender, self-assessed health, chronic disease condition, influenza vaccination, sense of social responsibility, perceived risk of the epidemic, concern about the epidemic, coronavirus disease vaccination of relatives/friends/colleagues, and the cognition of the efficacy and the safety of the coronavirus disease vaccine.
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