Understanding whether members of the university population are willing to receive a future vaccination against COVID-19 and identifying barriers may help public health authorities to develop effective strategies and interventions to contain COVID-19. This cross-sectional study explored the willingness to accept a future SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a university population in Southern Italy. The perceived risk level of developing COVID-19 was 6.5 and it was significantly higher among females, younger subjects, and those who agreed/strongly agreed that COVID-19 is a severe disease. Only 21.4% of respondents were not worried at all regarding the safety of the vaccine. Males, not being married/cohabitant, being a faculty member, those who perceived a lower risk of developing COVID-19, and those who did not need information regarding the vaccination against COVID-19 were significantly more likely to have no concern at all regarding the safety of the vaccine. The vast majority (84.1%) were willing to receive a future vaccine against COVID-19. Almost coherently with predictors of concern on the safety of the vaccine, being male, not being married/cohabitant, being a faculty member, not being concerned at all that COVID-19 vaccination might not be safe, and agreeing that COVID-19 can have serious health consequences were significant predictors of the willingness to receive the vaccine against COVID-19. A considerable proportion of the population had a positive willingness to receive the future COVID-19 vaccine, although some concerns have been expressed regarding the effectiveness and safety and public health activities seem necessary to achieve the rate that can lead to the protection of the community.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, vaccination, Italy, Attitudes, Willingness, university population, 【초록키워드】 public health, Vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine, cross-sectional, Intervention, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, activity, Health, COVID-19 vaccination, male, Effectiveness, Community, understanding, predictor, information, severe disease, Perceived risk, Safe, help, lower risk, positive, females, vaccination against COVID-19, consequence, younger subjects, develop, significantly more, proportion, majority, expressed, significantly higher, the vaccine, receive, effective strategy, public health authority, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Population, university,