COVID Stress Factors, Willingness to Be Vaccinated, and Reasons for Vaccination Hesitancy Amongst Ethnic Minorities and Youth

Background: As of March 2021, the COVID-19 virus has infected 120 million people and 2.6 million have died. BAME communities have been shown to be at higher risk for severe disease and death. The young, although less vulnerable, can be vectors for transmission. The aims of the study were to examine the relationships among race, age, COVID stress factors, vaccination hesitancy, and perceptions of likelihood of getting COVID, and to identify the common reasons for vaccine hesitancy.Methods: Cross-sectional survey was administered between December 2020 and March 2021 to a convenient sample of predominantly young adults. 494 adults were recruited using social media such as Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and a UK university’s intranet.The five-factor COVID stress scale questionnaire was administered along with questions regarding vaccination hesitancy.Findings: A structural equation model confirmed the factor structure of the COVID stress scale. Ethnic minorities scored statistically significantly higher on 4 COVID stress factors yet showed more vaccination hesitancy compared to ethnic Whites. All ethnic groups indicated side effects and safety as the most common reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The younger the respondent, the less likely they were to want vaccination.Interpretation: To stop the pandemic a majority of the population needs to be immune. If significant portions of the population, especially a more vulnerable one (i.e., BAME), are unwilling to receive the vaccine, the universal desire to see an end to this pandemic may be delayed or thwarted. Targeted campaigns to increase acceptance of vaccines are imperative.Funding: None Declaration of Interest: NoneEthical Approval: The university’s College of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences ResearchEthics Committee approved the study (Reference: 25864-A-Nov/2020-28759-2). Allparticipants included in this study gave their informed consent.