Public Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran

Background: Vaccination is a strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. After the vaccine is produced, the utilization of the vaccine becomes crucial. Objectives: The study aims to investigate the public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran from March 21 to July 6, 2021. The questionnaire collected attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination and priorities for COVID-19 vaccination. Based on the formula for calculating the sample size to estimate the ratio, the sample size was approximately 715 people. A convenience sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were collected both online and face-to-face from individuals over 18 years old. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors predicting willingness to pay for vaccines. Results: About 46% of the participants stated that they would use the COVID-19 vaccine, and 36% of them stated that their use of the vaccine depends on the type and specifications of the vaccine. About 71% were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine. The most important reason for not using the vaccine was "concerns about side effects of the vaccine" (44.9%). About 88% of respondents agreed that the COVID-19 vaccine should be free for everyone, and 56.6% favored that COVID-19 vaccination should be mandatory and everyone should be vaccinated. There was a significant relationship between the willingness to pay for the vaccine with educational status and the perceived risk of being infected with COVID-19 (%). Healthcare workers (31.4%) had the highest priority for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Most respondents were willing to receive and pay for the vaccine. The results provide useful information for decision-makers to identify individual and social values for a suitable vaccination strategy.