TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterising reasons for reversals of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among Japanese people
T2 - One-year follow-up survey
AU - Nomura, Shuhei
AU - Eguchi, Akifumi
AU - Yoneoka, Daisuke
AU - Murakami, Michio
AU - Ghaznavi, Cyrus
AU - Gilmour, Stuart
AU - Kaneko, Satoshi
AU - Kawashima, Takayuki
AU - Kunishima, Hiroyuki
AU - Naito, Wataru
AU - Sakamoto, Haruka
AU - Maruyama-Sakurai, Keiko
AU - Takahashi, Arata
AU - Takayama, Yoshihiro
AU - Tanoue, Yuta
AU - Yamamoto, Yoshiko
AU - Yasutaka, Tetsuo
AU - Miyata, Hiroaki
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank the Japan Epidemiological Association and the Japanese Society of Infectious Diseases as well as those involved in the COVID-19 Information Value Improvement and Link project (CIVIL project) for supervising the questionnaires. The funding sources of this study had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors.
Funding Information:
The present work was supported in part by a grant from the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan and by AIST government subsidies
Funding Information:
Arata Takahashi and Hiroaki Miyata are affiliated with the Department of Healthcare Quality Assessment at The University of Tokyo. The department is a social collaboration department supported by grants from the National Clinical Database, Johnson & Johnson K.K., and Nipro Co. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest for this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a global public health threat. We present unique data that characterises those who experienced reversals of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Japan. Methods: We administered a questionnaire on vaccination intention among 30053 Japanese adults aged 20 years or older before the COVID-19 vaccination was available to the general population (first survey) and conducted a follow-up survey on vaccination status one year later in February 2022 (second survey). Those who responded in the first survey that they did not intend to be vaccinated or were unsure and then responded in the second survey that they were vaccinated or intend to be vaccinated were asked about the reasons for their change of heart. Based on previous literature and expert opinion, 31 reasons for changing vaccination intention were compiled and respondents were asked to choose which among them applied to themselves, with multiple responses possible. Based on the results of those responses, each individual was then clustered using the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction technique and Ordering Points To Identify the Clustering Structure (OPTICS) algorithm. We then identified unique characteristics among each of the sub-populations (clusters). Findings: In the second survey we received 19195 responses (response rate 63.9%), of which 8077 responded ‘no’ or ‘not sure’ in the first survey regarding their intention to be vaccinated. Of these, 5861 responded having received or intending to receive the vaccine (72.6%). We detected six and five sub-populations (clusters) among the ‘no’ group and ‘not sure’ group, respectively. The clusters were characterized by perceived benefits of vaccination, including the COVID-19 vaccine, awareness of the COVID-19 vaccination status of those close to them, recognition of the social significance of COVID-19 vaccination for the spread of infection, and dispelled concerns about short-term adverse reactions and the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Work and personal relationship reasons were also found to be a unique overarching reason for vaccination changes of heart only among those who did not intend to vaccinate. Interpretation: Those who changed their intention to accept COVID-19 vaccination as well as their unique characteristics as detailed in this study will be important entry points when discussing how to promote vaccination to those who are hesitant to vaccinate in the future. Funding: The present work was supported in part by a grant from the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan and by AIST government subsidies.
AB - Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a global public health threat. We present unique data that characterises those who experienced reversals of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Japan. Methods: We administered a questionnaire on vaccination intention among 30053 Japanese adults aged 20 years or older before the COVID-19 vaccination was available to the general population (first survey) and conducted a follow-up survey on vaccination status one year later in February 2022 (second survey). Those who responded in the first survey that they did not intend to be vaccinated or were unsure and then responded in the second survey that they were vaccinated or intend to be vaccinated were asked about the reasons for their change of heart. Based on previous literature and expert opinion, 31 reasons for changing vaccination intention were compiled and respondents were asked to choose which among them applied to themselves, with multiple responses possible. Based on the results of those responses, each individual was then clustered using the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction technique and Ordering Points To Identify the Clustering Structure (OPTICS) algorithm. We then identified unique characteristics among each of the sub-populations (clusters). Findings: In the second survey we received 19195 responses (response rate 63.9%), of which 8077 responded ‘no’ or ‘not sure’ in the first survey regarding their intention to be vaccinated. Of these, 5861 responded having received or intending to receive the vaccine (72.6%). We detected six and five sub-populations (clusters) among the ‘no’ group and ‘not sure’ group, respectively. The clusters were characterized by perceived benefits of vaccination, including the COVID-19 vaccine, awareness of the COVID-19 vaccination status of those close to them, recognition of the social significance of COVID-19 vaccination for the spread of infection, and dispelled concerns about short-term adverse reactions and the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Work and personal relationship reasons were also found to be a unique overarching reason for vaccination changes of heart only among those who did not intend to vaccinate. Interpretation: Those who changed their intention to accept COVID-19 vaccination as well as their unique characteristics as detailed in this study will be important entry points when discussing how to promote vaccination to those who are hesitant to vaccinate in the future. Funding: The present work was supported in part by a grant from the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan and by AIST government subsidies.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Japan
KW - Reasons
KW - Reversals
KW - Vaccination hesitancy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100541
DO - 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100541
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85138621170
SN - 2666-6065
VL - 27
JO - The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
JF - The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
M1 - 100541
ER -
