COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Chikkaballapur, Karnataka

To diminish the spread and severity of COVID-19, India rolled out the world’s largest vaccination program in January 2021. The logistical challenges of undertaking such a large immunization program were exacerbated by the country’s limited healthcare capacity, resource constraints, and vaccine hesitancy among the population.

One Health Trust researchers conducted a study to assess vaccine hesitancy factors in Chikkaballapur, a district with one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the state of Karnataka, India. Both qualitative and quantitative surveys confirmed that government-run door-to-door vaccination campaigns and disbursement of vaccines at the local health center–level played a crucial role in lowering hesitancy and increasing vaccine coverage in the district.