Impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on college students’ hesitancy to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses: A study from Taizhou, China

Highlights

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  Students were more hesitant to receive additional booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine after secondary SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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  Males, undergraduates, non-medical majors, sophomores, and younger people were more hesitant to receive additional booster vaccinations against COVID-19 after experiencing a secondary infection.

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  Increased student hesitancy in China regarding the COVID-19 vaccine compared with before the classification of COVID-19 as a Category B for immunization.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the impact of a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the hesitancy of college students to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses.

Methods

A population-based self-administered online survey was conducted in July 2024 in Taizhou, China. A total of 792 respondents were included in this study. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with college students’ hesitation to receive booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Results

Of 792 respondents, 32.2 % hesitated to receive additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Furthermore, 23.5 % of the respondents reported an increase in hesitancy to receiving additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses compared to before they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. In the regression analyses, college students who had a secondary infection were more hesitant to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses (OR = 0.481, 95 % CI: (0.299–0.774), P = 0.003). Moreover, students with secondary infections who were male (OR = 0.417, 95 % CI: 0.221–0.784, P = 0.007), with lower than a bachelor’s degree (OR = 0.471, 95 % CI: 0.272–0.815, P = 0.007), in non-medical majors (OR = 0.460, 95 % CI: 0.248–0.856, P = 0.014), and sophomores or below (OR = 0.483, 95 % CI: 0.286–0.817, P = 0.007) were more hesitant to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses.

Conclusion

A history of SARS-CoV-2 infection affects college students’ hesitation to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, which was higher in those who experienced secondary infections.