Cross-sectional analysis of chikungunya vaccine acceptability among residents of Ponce, Puerto Rico, 2024–2025
Vaccine·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128845
- PMID
- 42320381
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7165398811
- Study type
- Cross-sectional study
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Identifying regional vaccination preferences enables health authorities to develop targeted educational campaigns that address safety inquiries and potentially increase immunization coverage during future arboviral events.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
What proportion of residents in Ponce, Puerto Rico, would accept a low-cost chikungunya vaccine, and how do demographic characteristics influence this willingness?
Study design
The investigation employed a cross-sectional survey methodology to evaluate public attitudes toward a hypothetical immunization program.
Population and setting
Data were collected from 2,437 individuals residing in Ponce, Puerto Rico, during the 2024 to 2025 period.
Main findings
Most participants indicated they would receive the immunization, whereas individuals aged thirty-one to fifty and those over fifty showed notably lower acceptance compared to younger adults. Respondents with partial higher education also demonstrated reduced willingness relative to those with less than a high school diploma. Hesitation primarily stemmed from a desire for additional information regarding potential adverse effects and overall safety.
Public-health relevance
Identifying regional vaccination preferences enables health authorities to develop targeted educational campaigns that address safety inquiries and potentially increase immunization coverage during future arboviral events.
Important limitations
The cross-sectional approach measures stated intentions rather than actual behavior, and the hypothetical nature of the vaccine scenario limits predictive validity. Additionally, this summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract/metadata and requires the original paper for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
This report establishes a baseline metric for community receptivity to chikungunya immunization in a U.S. territory, serving as a reference point for tracking public sentiment and guiding future health communication initiatives.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.