Income Inequalities in Hepatitis B Vaccination and Willingness to Pay Among Women of Reproductive Age in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Vietnam and can be transmitted from mother to child. Vaccination of women of reproductive age (WRA) can reduce this transmission. Because adult HBV vaccination in Vietnam follows a fee-for-service model, research is needed to determine the effect of household income on willingness to pay (WTP) to ensure equitable access to the vaccine.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April 2018, among WRA. Questionnaires were administered to assess household income, HBV history, vaccination status, vaccine awareness, and WTP for the vaccine. Multivariable logistic and interval regression were performed to assess the impact of household income on WTP for HBV vaccine.

Results: This study found that 62.3% of all participants were willing to pay for the HBV vaccine with no differences in WTP across income quintiles. There were significant differences among household income levels in awareness of HBV vaccination and WTP amount beyond US$4.50 with the lowest awareness and WTP amount among women from the lowest income quintiles.

Conclusions: Our data suggest the need to subsidize HBV vaccination for low-income women to ensure more equitable access to HBV vaccination. We propose that a sliding-scale payment method may be an effective strategy in light of limited funding to support vaccination expansion. An education campaign focusing on lower-income households should also be implemented in conjunction with this program. Further research would be required to evaluate consumer acceptance of this payment scheme and to develop an appropriate sliding scale to maximize vaccine uptake.