The Relationship between Risk Communication and Willingness to Receive Booster Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines

Abstract

Background: Identifying factors associated with willingness to receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines and risk communication are essential to control the pandemic. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between risk communication and willingness to receive booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 746 over 18 years old adults in Kermanshah, Iran, on October 2022 using random cluster sampling from 396,000 members of the general population who had not received a COVID-19 booster dose. Required data were collected using an online questionnaire from people who met the study requirements and analyzed via SPSS software version 22. Results: A total of 746 participants were between the ages of 40 and 59, 374.0% had a history of underlying disease, and 61.9% received two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. About 36.3% were willing to accept booster dosages, and men, older adults, and those with underlying diseases were more likely to receive booster vaccinations. The most influential sources of information were social networks and television. There was a positive and significant correlation between risk communication and willingness to receive booster vaccine doses (P > 0.05). The average risk communication scores were higher among those more likely to receive a booster dose. Conclusions: Health policymakers should pay more attention to risk communication in designing multi-component interventions and producing appropriate and authentic content in social networks to increase the general population’s acceptance of vaccine booster doses.