Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake During Pandemic Times: Insights from Rural Tamil Nadu

Background COVID-19 vaccines emerged as the mainstay of pandemic control. But the process of vaccinating all the eligible population, unveiled several challenges. With many newer emerging and reemerging diseases necessitating the need for new vaccines, it is essential to recognize the factors which improve vaccine acceptance and uptake among population. Objectives To identify the influence of sociodemographic factors and disease- or vaccine-related attitudes on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in rural Tamil Nadu. Material and Methods This community-based, study was conducted among 200 randomly selected households from 4 villages of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, between September and October 2022, using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire designed to collect information on COVID-19 vaccination status of eligible members of the households and factors associated with vaccine uptake. Results 91.3% of the eligible population were vaccinated; in 5% households none of the members were vaccinated. Educational status of head of household, comorbidity in family, perceived severity of disease and positive attitude towards vaccine and administrative recommendations were significantly associated with vaccine uptake of households (p≤0.05). Perceived contraindication for vaccine and belief that COVID-19 is a myth were the commonest reasons for non-vaccination. Conclusion Attitude towards disease, perceived efficacy of vaccines, along with trust in the administrative recommendations emerged as strong determinants for vaccine acceptance against pandemic circumstances. Vaccination programmes in future should focus on designing appropriate behaviour change communication or advocacy strategies to achieve equitable, universal access to vaccines.