Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and its determinants: Evidence from a
large population-based study in Bangladesh
Abstract
Introduction On the verge of vaccination, the most pressing issue seems
to be vaccine hesitancy. In this era of communication, Bangladeshi
people may have pre-determined concerns about receiving the vaccines.
Accordingly, our study attempted to understand belief, attitude, and
intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine among the country’s adult
population. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in all
eight divisions of Bangladesh. Seven thousand three hundred fifty-seven
data were collected from the adult population between January 17 and
February 2, 2021, by structured questionnaires. Statistical software
STATA (Version 16.1) and R (Version 4.0) programming language were used
for all analyses. Results Although most of the study participants were
from Dhaka division (n=2,519, 34.24%), a minimum involvement of 500
participants was ensured from each division during this study. The most
common age group was ≤30 years (n=3,394, 46.18%). Almost two thirds of
respondents were male (n=4,819, 65.50%) and married (n= 4,985,
67.76%). A large portion (79.85%) of people who had positive vaccine
intentions believed that vaccination should be made mandatory for
everyone. The majority of the respondents believed that the vaccine
would work against COVID-19 infection (n=4,954, 67%). PCA and FA
analyzed the association of vaccine acceptance and various
socio-demographic factors. Conclusion Our study evaluated the belief,
attitude, and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Bangladesh
and found some strong discussion points. The results of this study can
boost vaccination programs by providing essential insights.