Health Belief Model, Demographic, and Sexual Behavioral Factors Associated with Mpox Vaccination Among Men who have Sex with Men

The mpox virus outbreak (formerly known as monkeypox) in the United States created an urgent need to inform vaccination acceptance and uptake interventions. We quantitatively examined the association of the Health Belief Model, demographic, and sexual behavioral factors with men who have sex with men (MSM) getting the mpox vaccine. We qualitatively explored MSM’s perceived barriers to obtaining the mpox vaccine. A convenience sample of MSM in the United States (n = 554) completed a mixed-method online cross-sectional survey. A series of chi-square tests of independence, t-tests, and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze associations between participants who were and were not vaccinated against mpox. Inductive content analysis was used to investigate perceived barriers. Participants who perceived the barriers that the mpox vaccine is expensive and troublesome had lower odds of getting the mpox vaccine. The content analysis revealed that the most cited barrier was vaccine unavailability and inaccessibility. Health campaigns can increase perceived susceptibility to mpox and the perceived benefits of the mpox vaccine. Still, structural interventions are necessary to ensure that vaccine delivery is adequate, accessible, and equitable.