Coverage of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Booster Dose (Precautionary) in the Adult Population: An Online Survey

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic devastated public health worldwide, including India. COVID-19 vaccines and their boosters are life-saving developments that have helped prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. We conducted this study to assess the coverage of the booster...

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Published in:	Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 14; no. 7; p. e26912
Main Authors:	Masthi NR, Ramesh, Brahmajosyula, Anagha, Khamar, Aniket, Acharya, Namita, Bilichod, Lavanya P, Kondath, Deepika
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Palo Alto Cureus Inc 16-07-2022 Cureus
Subjects:	Age Coronaviruses COVID-19 vaccines Epidemiology/Public Health Immunization Infectious Disease Masks Population Preventive Medicine Questionnaires Sample size Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 United States > US India
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Summary:	BackgroundThe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic devastated public health worldwide, including India. COVID-19 vaccines and their boosters are life-saving developments that have helped prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. We conducted this study to assess the coverage of the booster dose in an Indian population (the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in India is referred to as the booster or precautionary dose), record the reasons for not taking the booster dose, and determine the effectiveness of the booster. The levels of adherence to COVID-19 precautionary behavior was also assessed. MethodsWe conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study using convenient sampling via an online survey of 550 respondents older than 18 in the second quarter of 2022. The respondents were distributed among 18 states and union territories in India. The data were analyzed as simple proportions and percentages.ResultsOf the 550 respondents, 152 (27.6%) received the booster dose, indicating low coverage. A small percentage of respondents (7.2%) reported suffering from COVID-19 following the booster, of whom 91% were medical professionals. The most common reported reason for not taking the vaccine was that the respondents were not yet due for their dose (48.1%). The time between the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster had no impact on infection rates. Men were less likely to adhere to COVID-19 precautionary behavior than women, despite similar vaccination rates.ConclusionThe COVID-19 vaccine booster had a low acceptance in our study population, with roughly one-quarter of the population receiving the booster. The booster dose has been influential in the prevention of COVID-19. Most respondents followed behavioral safety measures despite the decline of active cases of COVID-19 in India following the Omicron wave. Our results indicate a need to strengthen public strategies to affect behavioral changes, such as improving India's Behavior Change Communication program to ensure adequate booster dose coverage.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2168-8184 2168-8184
DOI:	10.7759/cureus.26912