COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine hesitancy in a Brazilian state capital

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic was disclosed to have both positive and negative impacts on vaccine acceptance. To further comprehend its influences on the population’s perceptions about vaccination, we conducted a cross-sectional study that aimed to evaluate the trends and determinants of vaccine hesitancy before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Campo Grande, a state capital in Brazil. Data was collected through household interviews conducted between 2022 and 2023, using questions addressing both the pre- and post-pandemic periods. Information on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received was collected. Vaccine hesitancy over time was assessed using the World Health Organization 10-item Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS), applied retrospectively to the periods before and after the beginning of the pandemic. Positive items were reverse-scored so that higher score indicated greater vaccine hesitancy. Some items of the VHS were aligned in two factors (lack of trust and risk perception) and two bivariable and two linear regression models were performed to describe the association between the variables and those factors. We observed an increase in both factors and in the overall VHS score after the onset of the pandemic. Lower trust was associated with older age, whereas lower COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was associated with a higher number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received. Increased risk perception was associated with higher COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. These findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to an overall rise in vaccine hesitancy in this population.