Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Korea

• Published in: Chonnam medical journal Vol. 58; no. 1; pp. 43 - 47
• Main Authors: Kweon, Sun-Seog, Yun, Il, Choi, Changkyun, Ryu, So-Yeon, Cho, Jun Hwi, Shin, Min-Ho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Chonnam National University Medical School 2022; 의과학연구소
• Subjects: Original; 의학일반; COVID-19; Vaccination; Vaccine Hesitancy
• ISSN: 2233-7385; 2233-7393
• DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2022.58.1.43

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will likely increase in the unvaccinated general population because of several vaccine safety issues that arose during priority vaccination. To investigate the potential rate of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the unvaccinated population and evaluate factors that affect the attitude towards vaccine acceptance, a cross-sectional survey was performed. A telephone survey was conducted in 1,357 people older than 18 years; 99 were excluded from the analysis because they had already been vaccinated (n=58) or hesitated (n=41) after an official call. The COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate was 21.9% and was highest among those aged under 30 years (33.4%) and lowest among those aged 65 years and over (8.7%). Age, occupation, and perceived confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy were associated with vaccine hesitancy. These findings suggest that public health authorities should strengthen the spread of correct information, especially in the younger population, to increase vaccination rates.