[COVID-19 vaccination refusal in the active Hungarian adult population in December, 2021 An exploratory study].

Introduction: In 2021, vaccines against COVID-19 became widely available in Hungary, but a part of the population refuses to be vaccinated, which hinders the control of the pandemic. Objective: To explore the sociodemographic characteristics of the Hungarian vaccination-refusing population and to preliminarily explore the reasons behind their refusal. Methods: In December 2021, survey data were collected online using quota-sampling among the Hungarian population aged 18-65 years with internee access. Sociodemographic variables, individual variables, and reasons for refusal were asked. 1905 completed questionnaires were included in this analysis. After variable selection using LASSO regression, binary logistic regression was used to identify the influencing variables. Reasons for rejection were examined both descriptively and using hierarchical classification. Results: Respondents with lower income, lower education, females, younger age, people living in smaller municipalities and who perceived their own health as better were more likely to refine vaccination. No similar associations were found with marital status, household size, life satisfaction and loneliness. Distrust of vaccination, safety concerns (especially side effects) and efficacy concerns are the main reasons for refusal, and to a lesser extent, the belief of immunity. Conclusions: Vaccination refusal is higher in vulnerable groups, which further increases their health risks. Alongside a well-designed health communication campaign, restoring trust in scientific and health institutions, transparent communication and a community-based approach appear to be important to increase vaccination uptake in Hungary.