Exploring vaccine hesitancy determinants during the COVID-19 pandemic: An in-depth interview study

Abstract

On January 20, 2020, the CDC reported its first case of the novel coronavirus in the United States. Almost a year and a half later, efforts to vaccinate individuals in the hopes of achieving herd immunity continue. Despite the amounts of scientific breakthroughs to create and disseminate the vaccines, people continue to express hesitancy. Existing research has explored vaccine hesitancy through survey data, restricting an in-depth understanding for why people remain hesitant. As a result, this research aimed to understand in-depth reasons for vaccine hesitancy as well as what finally got those who, although hesitant, went through with getting inoculated. In addition, we also wanted to know how the vaccine hesitant received information about the vaccine. Using in-depth interviews, we identified key elements that influenced vaccine hesitancy which include social pressure to not get vaccinated and lack of trust in the healthcare system. We also identified reasons why vaccine hesitant individuals ultimately decided to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These reasons included becoming informed, getting back to normal, and societal pressure. Finally, we sought to understand what served as venues for COVID-19 information and those were media sources like traditional news outlets/legacy media (e.g., TV) and digital/social media, and interpersonal sources like family, friends, and co-workers. In revealing these factors through in-depth interviews, we show how complex vaccine hesitancy is and the elements public health practitioners need to take into consideration when constructing vaccine-related information/messages.

Vaccination hesitancy: To be vaccinated, or not to be vaccinated, that is the question in the era of COVID‐19

“…Although vaccination is an individual choice, vaccine‐hesitant people substantially affect the pandemic trajectory, which may compromise present efforts to contain COVID‐19 with negative implications for the entire healthcare system (Olivera‐Mesa et al., 2022 ). To date, to the best of our knowledge, while most studies investigating attitudes toward COVID‐19 vaccination among the general population adopted a quantitative approach (Giuliani et al., 2021 ; Gorman et al., 2021 ; Larson et al., 2016 ), only a few empirical investigations have utilized open‐ended questions to reach a deeper understanding of the cognitive and emotional factors characterizing vaccine‐hesitant individuals (e.g., Geana et al., 2021 ; Morales et al., 2022 ).To fill this gap, we decided to conduct a qualitative study on a sample of the Italian‐hesitant population, since it is important to deepen the understanding of this phenomenon by exploring the specific beliefs and emotions that influence an individual's decision to delay or refuse the vaccine.…”

Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Lessons Have We Learned?

“…40 Conversely, individuals who eventually chose to be vaccinated cited reasons as becoming informed, desire to return to normalcy, and societal pressure. 40 A unique feature of the US vaccine campaign is the political discord interjected into the national dialogue, as well as the successful entrenchment of conspiracy theories. Disturbingly, researchers have found that fallacious information online is propagated by a relatively small number of "super-spreaders," typically high-profile individuals, celebrities, or social media influencers.…”

“…39 Authors of one such survey found the key influences of vaccine hesitancy included social pressure to not be immunized and lack of trust in the health care system. 40 Conversely, individuals who eventually chose to be vaccinated cited reasons as becoming informed, desire to return to normalcy, and societal pressure. 40 A unique feature of the US vaccine campaign is the political discord interjected into the national dialogue, as well as the successful entrenchment of conspiracy theories.…”

Media and Trust. On the Need to Seek Information in Times of Uncertainty and its Social Consequences. Case Study of Poland during the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Conspiracy theories or conspiracy beliefs are defined as "the tendency to assume that major public events are secretly orchestrated by powerful and malevolent entitles acting in concert" (Douglas et al 2019, as cited in Allington et al 2021a). In addition, higher rates of conspiracy beliefs and greater reliance on social media were linked with lower levels of preventative behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (Morales et al 2022).…”