Determinants of personal vaccination hesitancy before and after the mid-2021 COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Using a 10 week nationwide online survey performed during a time period containing the time ahead, the start, and the peak of a COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan, we investigated aspects that could affect participants’ vaccination intentions. METHODS: From March to May 2021, we surveyed 1,773 people in Taiwan, aged from 20 to 75 years, to determine potential acceptance rates and factors influencing the acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. We used an ordinal logistic regression with a backward selection method to identify factors that affected vaccination intention. RESULTS: Several factors could increase individuals’ vaccination intentions including: being male, older, with an openness personality, having a better quality of life in the physical health domain, having better knowledge and personal health behavior, having more trust in the government, and being worried about misinformation. Perceived risks played a crucial role in the vaccine decision-making process. When the pandemic intensified, people’s vaccination intentions increased significantly. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study could highlight individuals’ vaccination attitudes and provide governments with an empirical and dynamic base to design tailored strategies to increase vaccination rates.