COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Spain and associated factors

IntroductionThe present study explores the reasons of those who have not been vaccinated in the later stage of the vaccine rollout in Spain and its associated determinants. MethodsCluster and logistic regression analyses were used to assess differences in claimed reasons for vaccine hesitancy in Spain using two samples of unvaccinated people (18-40 years old) gathered by an online cross-sectional survey from social networks (n = 910) and from a representative panel (n = 963) in October-November 2021. ResultsThe main reasons for not being vaccinated were believing that the COVID-19 vaccines had been developed too fast, they were experimental, and they were not safe, endorsed by 68.7% participants in the social network sample and 55.4% in the panel sample. The cluster analysis classified the participants into two groups. Logistic regression showed that Cluster 2 (individuals who reported structural constraints and health-related reasons such as pregnancy or medical recommendation) presented a lower trust in information from health professionals, had a lower willingness to get vaccinated in the future, and avoided less social/family events than those in Cluster 1 (reasons centered in distrust on COVID-19 vaccines, conspiracy thoughts and complacency). ConclusionsIt is important to promote information campaigns that provide reliable information and fight fake news and myths. Future vaccination intention differs in both clusters, so these results are important for developing strategies target to increase vaccination uptake for those who do not reject the COVID-19 vaccine completely.

Automated summary

The present study investigates the reasons for vaccine hesitancy among those who have not been vaccinated in the later stage of the vaccine rollout in Spain. Cluster and logistic regression analyses were conducted using two samples of unvaccinated individuals, revealing that the main reasons for not being vaccinated were concerns about the speed of vaccine development, experimental nature, and safety. The analysis further identified two clusters, with individuals in Cluster 2 showing lower trust in health professionals' information, lower willingness to get vaccinated in the future, and fewer avoidances of social/family events compared to Cluster 1. Promoting reliable information and addressing misinformation and myths through information campaigns is crucial. These findings can guide strategies to increase vaccination uptake among those who are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine.