Prevalence and factors associated with covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in Maranhão, Brazil

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with hesitancy in getting the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in Maranhão, Brazil. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional population-based study conducted from October 19 to 30, 2020. The estimates were calculated based on clustering, stratification, and non-response. A three-stage sampling was adopted, considering stratum, census tracts, and domicile. After systematic analysis, thirty sectors were selected in each stratum, totaling 150 sectors. Each sector contained a fixed number of 34 households, thus totaling 5,100 households. One individual within each household (resident for at least six months and aged one year or more) was selected by a simple random sampling. We questioned participants about their vaccination intention. Univariate association between independent variables and the outcome were verified using descriptive analysis (weighted frequencies) and Pearson's chi-square test (p < 0.05). Robust multivariate analysis was performed using a three-level hierarchical model. RESULTS: We found 17.5% (95%CI 16.1–19.1%) of the 4,630 individuals interviewed to report hesitancy to be vaccinated against covid-19. After final model adjustment, vaccination hesitancy was statistically higher among residents of the cities of Imperatriz (24.0%; RP = 1.48; IC95% 1.09–2.02) and municipalities of the Grande Ilha de São Luís (20.7%; RP = 1.34; 95%CI 1.02–1.76), female individuals (19.8%; RP = 1.44; 95%CI 1.20–1.75), older adults (22.8%; RP = 1.79; IC95% 1.30–2.46), evangelicals (24.1%; RP = 1.49; 95%CI 1.24–1.79), and those without reported symptoms (18.6%; RP = 1.24; 95%CI 1.02–1.51). We found no statistical differences for other socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, as well as variables related to the labor market, behaviors, and health conditions of the interviewees. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in Maranhão and its association with individual, contextual, and clinical factors enable us to identify the groups and contexts of greatest resistance, requiring special attention from public strategies to ensure wide vaccination.