DISPOSITION OF ADOLESCENTS TOWARD RECEIVING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN VILLAVICENCIO: MYTHS AND BELIEFS

Global efforts regarding the COVID-19 pandemic have been focused on preventive activities, such as vaccination, since the disease is expected to become endemic. Adolescents were among the last population groups to be included in the vaccination program in Colombia, and adequate coverage has not yet been achieved in this group and in infants. It is important to understand their motivations to improve the willingness of this population to be vaccinated. A cross-sectional study was designed via an online survey in adolescents aged 14-19 years in Villavicencio Meta after validation of the survey and informed consent. The following options were provided for the question on vaccine disposition: willing, undecided, and unwilling. We described the disposition toward receiving COVID-19 vaccine using graphs and absolute and relative frequencies based on age group. A multinomial regression model was used to assess the relationship between our predictor variables and vaccine disposition in adolescents. In this study, 288 adolescents were surveyed. The risk variables for unwillingness to be vaccinated were being male (odds ratio [OR] 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-5.7, p = 0.62), belonging to low social stratum (OR 2.29, 95% CI 0.9-5.88, p = 0.19), having a monthly family income of less than 1 million Colombian pesos (250 USD) (OR 2.01, 95% CI 0.8-5.16, p = 0.19), and having basic education (OR 2.59, 95% CI 0.33-20.14, p = 0.18). Unproven myths and beliefs exert a profound influence on adolescents, which results in an unwillingness to be vaccinated. Hence, innovative public health strategies should be designed to improve the disposition to be vaccinated in this population group.