Close to a year since COVID-19 vaccines were made available to many parts of the world, we still find resistance among groups and individuals towards receiving the jabs that have proven effective in providing immunity towards the virus. This reluctance of people to receive the vaccines, known as “vaccine hesitancy” not only affects those who are unvaccinated but their loved ones as well as they remain more susceptible to the virus.
Some studies conducted on vaccine hesitancy point at five main drivers: 1) Confidence, 2) Complacency, 3) Convenience (or constraints), 4) Risk calculation, and 5) Collective Responsibility. These drivers are more commonly found in individuals who have certain pre-existing views and beliefs that impact their decision on receiving the vaccine.
A distinct lack of trust and concerns over potential side effects is also another reason for vaccine hesitancy. This is according to a recent study by Prof Leonard Lee (Deputy Director, LRF Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk) and his collaborators. Based on data collected from the United States, the study offered insights into COVID-19 vaccination promotion by conducting segmentation analysis using psychological and behavioural factors that may correlate with vaccination uptake.
For example, Democrats (72%) in general were more ready to receive the vaccine than Republicans (46%) or Independents (57%). This is largely because of their concern about others and approval of President Joe Biden, as well as being influenced by isolation anxiety and trust in COVID-related information.
Understanding and addressing people’s worries and attitudes in the study can be used to help policy makers design more effective interventions to promote vaccine uptake and rein in the pandemic.
In Singapore, vaccination hesitancy is less of a concern – vaccination rates of the population stood at 86 percent as of 21 February 2022. Effective strategies implemented by the government include clamping down on fake news and misleading information about the vaccines and targeting the elderly using different languages and dialects.
Communicating risks about the vaccine is so important in the fight against the pandemic. Not only does it inform people about the best decisions to take but also builds trust with the government and other related groups of authority.
Promoting the uptake of vaccines will require understanding whether people are willing to be vaccinated, the reasons why they are willing or unwilling to do so, and the most trusted sources of information in their decision-making. Tackling the pandemic also requires trust and compliance on the part of the people.
Read Prof Lee’s full report here.
