Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Concerns of the General Population in Age Group 18-45 years towards COVID-19 Vaccination – A Community-Based Survey in Chandigarh, India
Ruchi Vashisht *
Department of Oral Health Science Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Ritin Mohindra
Department of Internal medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Vikas Suri
Department of Internal medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Navneet Arora
Department of Internal medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Sarthak Wadhera
Department of Internal medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Umesh K. Dharmani
Department of Oral Health Science Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Roop Kishor Soni
Department of Internal medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Kirtan Rana
Department of Community Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate community knowledge, attitudes, practice, and concerns of adults 18-45yrs towards COVID 19 vaccinations in Chandigarh, India. A rapid online survey was done, and forms from 731 people were collected from 24.08.21 to 5.10.21. The primary outcome variable was the general public's willingness, knowledge, and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. The associated factors were identified using regression analysis. A sample of 73% of people participated and completed the study questionnaires. Only 70.3% of the people received the vaccination, and 70.9% of participants gave no history of previous COVID-19 infection. Just above half of the participants, 50.2%, believed to know the vaccine's effectiveness, whereas 88.1 % (644) participants understood the importance of vaccination against this disease. Despite limitations, surveys are a suitable method to evaluate and assess attitudes and concerns of the general population about COVID-19 vaccination.
Keywords: COVID-19, vaccination, community knowledge, acceptance