Vaccine Hesitancy in India: Facilitators and Inhibitors

• Published in: Health education & behavior Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 822 - 834
• Main Authors: Parveen, Heena, Nasir, Shagufta, Shahnawaz, Md Ghazi, Husain, Fatema, Baig, Juweria, Shankar, Anand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2023; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Access to Health Care; Age Differences; Beliefs; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Demography; Disease control; Fatalism; Fear; Foreign Countries; Frame analysis; Gender Differences; Health Behavior; Health belief model; Health beliefs; Hindus; Immunization; Immunization Programs; Muslims; Pandemics; Predictor Variables; Regression analysis; Religion; Religious Factors; Sampling; Vaccines; Viruses; India; 3Cs model; Demographics; Vaccine hesitancy; Health Belief Model; Fatalism; Hierarchical regression analysis; Religious fatalism
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/10901981231179503

COVID-19 is yet not completely over; however, many people are hesitant to take COVID-19 vaccines despite their availability. Vaccine hesitancy is a major roadblock to attaining normalcy and controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The present research used a multitheoretical framework (Health Belief Model, 3Cs framework, fatalism, and religious fatalism) to comprehend the complexity of vaccine hesitancy. Thus, the present study aimed at exploring vaccine hesitancy in India by using key components of the Health Belief Model, 3Cs framework, fatalism, religious fatalism, and some demographics as predictors. Data were collected electronically with the help of Google Forms from 639 Indian adults following snowballing and convenience sampling techniques with standardized measures (albeit some modifications to suit the context of the study). Descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were run in SPSS (V-22) to analyze the data. Results revealed that participants of the present study scored relatively high on vaccine hesitancy. Muslims as compared with Hindus and vaccination status emerged as significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy out of the demographic factors. Fear of COVID-19, vaccine convenience, and religious fatalism also significantly predicted vaccine hesitancy. Thus, a comprehensive approach is needed to strategically use these predictors to control vaccine hesitancy.