Multi-dimensional psychosocial factors influencing the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster: A survey among the public in Mainland China

This study aimed to investigate multi-dimensional psychological and social factors that influence the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster in China. A nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted between March and April 2022. A total of 6375 complete responses were received. The majority were of age 18 to 40 years old (80.0%) and college-educated (49.2%). In total, 79% responded extremely willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster. By demographics, younger age, females, higher education, and participants with the lowest income reported higher willingness. Having a very good health status (odds ratio [OR] 3.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.92-4.34) and a higher score of vaccine confidence (OR 3.50, 95% CI 2.98-4.11) were associated with an increased willingness to receive a booster shot. Experiencing no side effects with primary COVID-19 vaccination (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.89-3.20) and higher perceived susceptibility of COVID-19 infection (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.92-2.95) were also associated with an increased willingness to receive a booster shot. A variety of psychosocial factors, namely having no chronic diseases, lower perceived concern over the safety of a booster shot, higher perceived severity of COVID-19 infection, and a higher level of institutional trust, were also significantly associated with greater willingness to get a booster shot. In conclusion, the present study adds evidence to the significant role of psychosocial factors in predicting COVID-19 vaccine booster acceptance and provides insights to design interventions to increase booster uptake in certain targeted demographic groups.

Automated summary

This study investigates the psychological and social factors influencing the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster in China. The results show that younger age, female gender, higher education, good health status, and higher vaccine confidence are associated with a higher willingness. Additionally, experiencing no side effects with the primary vaccination, higher perceived susceptibility of COVID-19 infection, no chronic diseases, lower perceived concern over the safety of a booster shot, and higher institutional trust are also associated with greater willingness. The study highlights the importance of psychosocial factors in predicting vaccine booster acceptance and provides insight for targeted interventions.