Prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the general population in Asadabad, Iran: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Vaccination can be an essential protective measure against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) if well received by the public. Various factors affect the acceptance or refusal of vaccines. Several waves of COVID-19 caused much death in Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the general population of Asadabad in 2021. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 650 people from the general population of Asadabad with a mean age of 34.6 (SD = 15.1) years were selected and included. In addition to socio-economic and demographic data, data were collected using the COVID-19 fear scale. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between the tendency to get the COVID-19 vaccine (the dependent variable) and other variables. RESULTS: About 42.3% of participants were reluctant to receive the available COVID-19 vaccines. After adjusting for several covariates, there was a significant relationship between willingness to get vaccinated and family history of COVID-19 infection (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.06–3.27, p = 0.032), trust in healthcare workers (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.13–3.79, p = 0.019), trust in existing vaccines (AOR = 3.94, 95% CI 2.15–7.23, p < 0.001), encouraging family members to get vaccinated (AOR = 7.6, 95% CI 4.12–14.01, p < 0.0001). Also, people infected with COVID-19 are less likely to accept vaccination (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.33–0.93, p = 0.025). Also, a unit increase in the score of fear of getting the COVID-19 virus increased the odds of getting the COVID-19 vaccine by 6% (AOR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.10, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The culture and context of different societies can affect the acceptance or refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on these characteristics and providing extensive education to the people, the health authorities in each community should build trust and better communicate all health information to clear any fear and remove all obstacles to increase willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination.