Exploring booster vaccine hesitancy: evidence from the COVID-19 in Hong Kong.
- 1Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- 2Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
- 3Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic showed that effective pandemic prevention may require repeated vaccination. However, booster uptake can be influenced by psychosocial factors, particularly during a prolonged public health crisis.Objective
This study examined factors associated with adults' willingness to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose in Hong Kong.Methods
Data were drawn from the fourth-wave follow-up survey of a longitudinal study and analyzed cross-sectionally using multinomial logistic regression.Results
A total of 689 participants were analyzed: 401 (58.2%) were willing to receive an additional dose, 130 (18.9%) refused, and 158 (22.9%) were undecided. Relative to being undecided, higher pandemic fatigue (OR = 1.630, 95% CI: 1.256-2.115) and lower trust in authorities (OR = 0.602, 95% CI: 0.471-0.769) were statistically significantly associated with greater odds of refusal, whereas greater perceived convenience of preventive measures was statistically significantly associated with greater odds of acceptance (OR = 1.288, 95% CI: 1.011-1.640). Higher daily hassles were statistically significantly associated with increased odds of both refusal (OR = 1.578, 95% CI: 1.150-2.163) and acceptance (OR = 1.257, 95% CI: 1.005-1.572), indicating a bidirectional relationship, and the association with acceptance held only among those who perceived measures as less convenient. Among demographic factors, only age was significant, with younger participants more likely to remain undecided than older participants.Conclusions
The findings highlight the role of everyday pandemic experiences in shaping vaccination decisions. Improving the convenience and manageability of preventive measures may help promote booster vaccine uptake in future pandemic contexts.
Related
- Evidence-based design of vaccine hesitancy information resources for health care providers
- The Dunning–Kruger effect does not account for Covid-scepticism or vaccine hesitancy
- Vaccine hesitancy in Europe during COVID-19: a systematic review of determinants
- [Strategies to address vaccine hesitancy in Brazil: evidence synthesis].
- Study on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection and immune responses following the third booster dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in hematologic disease patients
BibTeX
@article{jin2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring booster vaccine hesitancy: evidence from the COVID-19 in Hong Kong.}},
author = {Jiahui Jin and Daniel W L Lai and Elsie Yan},
journal = {Global health action},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/16549716.2026.2750708},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910459},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring booster vaccine hesitancy: evidence from the COVID-19 in Hong Kong.
AU - Jiahui Jin
AU - Daniel W L Lai
AU - Elsie Yan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Global health action
DO - 10.1080/16549716.2026.2750708
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910459
AB - Background The COVID-19 pandemic showed that effective pandemic prevention may require repeated vaccination. However, booster uptake can be influenced by psychosocial factors, particularly during a prolonged public health crisis.Objective This study examined factors associated with adults' willingness to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose in Hong Kong.Methods Data were drawn from the fourth-wave follow-up survey of a longitudinal study and analyzed cross-sectionally using multinomial logistic regression.Results A total of 689 participants were analyzed: 401 (58.2%) were willing to receive an additional dose, 130 (18.9%) refused, and 158 (22.9%) were undecided. Relative to being undecided, higher pandemic fatigue (OR = 1.630, 95% CI: 1.256-2.115) and lower trust in authorities (OR = 0.602, 95% CI: 0.471-0.769) were statistically significantly associated with greater odds of refusal, whereas greater perceived convenience of preventive measures was statistically significantly associated with greater odds of acceptance (OR = 1.288, 95% CI: 1.011-1.640). Higher daily hassles were statistically significantly associated with increased odds of both refusal (OR = 1.578, 95% CI: 1.150-2.163) and acceptance (OR = 1.257, 95% CI: 1.005-1.572), indicating a bidirectional relationship, and the association with acceptance held only among those who perceived measures as less convenient. Among demographic factors, only age was significant, with younger participants more likely to remain undecided than older participants.Conclusions The findings highlight the role of everyday pandemic experiences in shaping vaccination decisions. Improving the convenience and manageability of preventive measures may help promote booster vaccine uptake in future pandemic contexts.
SN - 1654-9716
SN - 1654-9880
ER -