Introduction: The threat of new SARS-CoV-2 variants indicates the need to implement COVID-19 vaccine booster programs. The aim of this study was to identify the level of booster acceptance and its determinants.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia. Booster acceptance was divided into three categories: non-acceptor, planned acceptor, and actual acceptor. The primary independent variables were health beliefs, media influence, and trust in authoritative sources. Other covariates included demographics, socioeconomic status, and COVID-19 history. A primary analysis was conducted through multinomial logistic regression. The effects of the hypothetical situations on booster acceptance were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The final analysis included 2674 respondents with a booster acceptance rate of 56.3% (41.2% planned acceptors, 15.1% actual acceptors). Health beliefs, social media influence, and trust in authoritative information sources were identified as determinants for planned and actual booster acceptance. Socioeconomic status indicators were also identified as determinants for actual booster acceptance. Booster acceptance was increased in hypothetical scenarios involving booster requirements for work, travel, and accessing public places.
Conclusions: Booster acceptance was found to be lower than the predicted primary vaccine acceptance prior to its launch. The acceleration of booster coverage requires strategies that leverage health beliefs and focus on people with a lower socioeconomic status.
Keywords: COVID-19; booster; health beliefs; socioeconomic status; trust; vaccine; vaccine hesitancy.