Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41009205›Full record

ArticleBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2025

The Evolution of Monkeypox Vaccination Acceptance in Romania: A Comparative Analysis (2022-2025), Psychosocial Perceptions, and the Impact of Anti-Vaccination Rhetoric on Societal Security.

Cătălin Peptan, Flavius Cristian Mărcău, Olivia-Roxana Alecsoiu, Dragos Mihai Panagoret, Marian Emanuel Cojoaca, Alina Magdalena Musetescu, Genu Alexandru Căruntu, Alina Georgiana Holt, Ramona Mihaela Nedelcuță, Victor Gheorman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Cătălin PeptanFaculty of Educational Sciences, Law and Public Administration, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu Jiu, 210185 Târgu Jiu, Romania.
Flavius Cristian MărcăuFaculty of Educational Sciences, Law and Public Administration, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu Jiu, 210185 Târgu Jiu, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-0440-127X
Olivia-Roxana AlecsoiuFaculty of Educational Sciences, Law and Public Administration, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu Jiu, 210185 Târgu Jiu, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-1129-2793
Dragos Mihai PanagoretFaculty of Science and Engineering Alexandria-Valahia University of Târgoviște, 140003 Alexandria, Romania.
Marian Emanuel CojoacaNational Health Insurance House (CNAS), Titu Maiorescu University, 040051 Bucharest, Romania.
Alina Magdalena MusetescuVictor Babeș Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, 030303 Bucharest, Romania.
Genu Alexandru CăruntuFaculty of Economics, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu Jiu, 210185 Târgu Jiu, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-0045-7847
Alina Georgiana HoltFaculty of Educational Sciences, Law and Public Administration, "Constantin Brâncuși" University of Târgu Jiu, 210185 Târgu Jiu, Romania.
Ramona Mihaela NedelcuțăFaculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Victor GheormanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of willingness to accept the monkeypox (Mpox) vaccine in Romania between 2022 and 2025. It explores key sociodemographic and behavioral predictors of vaccine acceptance and investigates how public perceptions-particularly concerning disease severity and conspiracy beliefs-have shifted across two independent cross-sectional samples. Two nationally distributed surveys were conducted in July 2022 (n = 820) and January-February 2025 (n = 1029), targeting Romanian residents aged 18 and above. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, and a Random Forest classification model to assess the relative importance of predictors of vaccine acceptance. Between 2022 and 2025, vaccine acceptance increased modestly, particularly among individuals aged 36-65 and those with prior experience of voluntary or COVID-19 vaccination. Random Forest analysis identified behavioral factors as the strongest predictors of acceptance in both years, while the influence of education and gender varied over time. Belief in conspiracy theories slightly declined and lost predictive relevance by 2025. Perceptions of pandemic potential and fear of infection also decreased, suggesting reduced risk salience and possible pandemic fatigue. Despite a slight upward trend, overall Mpox vaccine acceptance in Romania remains among the lowest in Europe. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health communication, particularly toward skeptical or demographically vulnerable groups. Prior vaccination behavior emerged as a key driver of acceptance, indicating that trust-building strategies should capitalize on existing pro-vaccination habits. Future research should adopt qualitative and longitudinal approaches to better capture the evolving psychosocial dynamics of vaccine hesitancy.

Indexed as

fake newshesitancymonkeypoxRomaniasocietal securityvaccine

Identifiers

PMID41009205
PMCPMC12466473

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.