COVID-19 vaccine: Psychological impact in a Portuguese sample

Abstract

In view of the current pandemic situation the world is experiencing, an increase in knowledge has become central in finding solutions to overcome this public health crisis. Due to the urgency of developing a vaccine to try to control the crisis, we intend to understand the Portuguese population’s perception about the levels of anxiety regarding the development, availability, and adhesion to COVID-19 vaccines. Thus, a cross-sectional questionnaire was carried out in Portugal from October to December 2020 on 921 respondents. Most of the participants reported mild to severe anxiety symptoms. The reported anxiety levels were similar in terms of both the general anxiety felt towards the disease and the anxiety associated with the availability and effectiveness of a vaccine. These results imply that official’s government should be informed regarding specific political strategies on this topic, the need for appropriate awareness campaigns, and the required action to increase health literacy.