Changes in hepatitis B vaccine perception in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Development of the Shift in vaccine confidence (SVC) survey tool

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted access to, adherence to, and perceptions of routine vaccinations. We developed the Shift in Vaccine Confidence (SVC) survey tool to assess the impact of the pandemic on routine vaccinations, with a focus on the HBV vaccine, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study describes the content validation steps we conducted to ensure the survey tool is meaningful to measure changes in vaccine confidence to regular immunization (HBV vaccine) due to the pandemic. Three rounds of stakeholder feedback from a DRC-based study team, content and measurement experts, and study participants allowed us to produce a measure with improved readability and clarity.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study describes the development of an assessment tool in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine vaccinations, with a focus on the HBV vaccine. Through three rounds of stakeholder feedback, the research team improved the readability and clarity of the survey tool.