COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in India: State of the nation and priorities for research

BACKGROUND: Few COVID-19 vaccines were anticipated in India in early 2021. However, little was known about COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among the public. We conducted a nationwide study to understand the public’s perception about COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. METHOD: An online survey was deployed using a multi-item validated questionnaire via social media websites and networking platforms for adults in India. We asked participants about vaccination willingness, concerns about vaccination, and their sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Nationwide, 1638 participants from 27 states/union territories took the survey where the majority of the participant were males (55%), 18–30 years old (52%), urban dwellers (69%), college-educated (81%), without a history of COVID-19 infection (92%). More than a fifth were either unaware of the vaccines (20.63%) or were not sure if they will get the vaccine (27%), and 10% refused to obtain the vaccine. Almost 70% of the population had concerns regarding the vaccines. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01) in awareness about vaccine and acceptability were observed based on age, educational qualifications, and employment status. CONCLUSION: While the majority of Indians would accept the vaccine, given the large population of India, even a small proportion of hesitant individuals would translate to millions of unvaccinated individuals. Strategic measures and policy decisions to enhance the rate of COVID-19 vaccination should be continuously planned and implemented in India.