Despite evidence of vaccine safety and efficacy, vaccine hesitancy remains a major global health threat. The COVID-19 vaccine has presented unique vaccine hesitancy concerns compared to parental vaccine hesitancy towards childhood vaccines. South Carolina (SC) is home to a largely conservative population and historically has some of the lowest vaccination coverage rates in the United States of America. The goal of the current study was to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions among SC residents. From November 2020 to September 2021, 300,000 invitations to participate in community testing and complete an online survey were mailed to randomly selected SC residents. The survey collected data about behaviors and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, as well as demographic and health characteristics. Of the 10,626 survey participants, 69.9% reported being vaccinated against COVID-19. Among those not vaccinated, 65.5% reported vaccine intentions. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that confidence in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines increased the likelihood of vaccine intentions, while younger age (<60 years) decreased the likelihood of vaccine intentions. To increase vaccine intentions and uptake, public health and government officials in South Carolina and other conservative states should target younger populations and address concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety.
Keywords: COVID-19; South Carolina; United States; vaccination; vaccine intentions.