COVID-19 Vaccination Status as Well as Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Prisoners and the Implications

• Published in: Vaccines (Basel) 2023-06, Vol.11 (6), p.1081
• Main Authors: Shabir, Alina, Alkubaisi, Noorah A, Shafiq, Amna, Salman, Muhammad, Baraka, Mohamed A, Mustafa, Zia Ul, Khan, Yusra Habib, Malhi, Tauqeer Hussain, Meyer, Johanna C, Godman, Brian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acceptance; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Demographic variables; Health attitudes; hesitancy; Mortality; Overcrowding; Pandemics; Prisoners; Prisons; Psychological aspects; Public health; Safety; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Statistical analysis; status; Surveys; Tornadoes; Training; Vaccination; Vaccines; Viral diseases; World health
• ISSN: 2076-393X; 2076-393X
• DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061081

Prisoners form a population who are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to overcrowding, limited movement, and a poor living environment. Consequently, there is a need to ascertain the status of COVID-19 vaccination and factors associated with hesitancy among prisoners. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken among prisoners at three district jails in Punjab Province, Pakistan. A total of 381 prisoners participated and none of the study participants had received an influenza vaccine this year. In total, 53% received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the majority having two doses. The top three reasons of vaccine acceptance were "fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection" (56.9%), "desire to return to a pre-pandemic routine as soon as possible" (56.4%), and "having no doubts on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines" (39.6%). There was no statistically significant difference ( > 0.05) in any demographic variables between vaccinated and unvaccinated prisoners except for age, which was strongly association with COVID-19 vaccine uptake (χ (3) = 76.645, < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.457). Among the unvaccinated prisoners ( = 179), only 16 subsequently showed willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The top three reasons for hesitancy were: COVID-19 is not a real problem/disease (60.1%), safety concerns (51.1%), and COVID-19 vaccine is a conspiracy (50.3%). Efforts are needed to address their concerns given this population's risks and high hesitancy rates, especially among younger prisoners.