Hesitancy towards Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and its socio-demographic correlates among parents attending to children aged <15 years in tertiary hospitals of Coastal South India

Problem considered: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease with a vaccine as the main preventive strategy. Vaccine hesitancy among parents can pose a threat to the success of child vaccination programmes. Objectives: To determine the level of awareness regarding the transmission, treatment and sequelae of JE, assess the levels and determining factors of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among parents accompanying their children aged <15 years to the study hospitals. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 204 parents of children aged <15 years from February to May 2023. Data were collected using a pretested validated proforma and analysed using Jamovi software 2.3. Chi-square test and Binary Logistic Regression analyses were used. Results: Among, the 204 study participants (mean age 29.6 (±3.65) years), 73% (n = 129) were aged </ = 30 years, 71.1% (n = 145) were aware of the presence of JE in the study area. Awareness about transmission and consequences was less than 30%. Overall vaccine hesitancy was 84.3% (n = 172); it was higher among those >30 years (85.3% versus 83.7% among </ = 30 years, with >2 children (90% versus 84.0% among those having </ = 2 children). With overall 72.5% vaccine acceptance, participants aged ≤30 years (OR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.01–4.34; p = 0.047) and those aware of JE cases in the area (OR 27.76 (95% CI, 12.67–65.53), p < 0001), had higher vaccine acceptance rate. Conclusion: The participants had high level of awareness about JE cases being reported; lack of knowledge regarding the JE transmission, treatment, and consequences; high JE vaccine hesitancy and low acceptance rate.