Popular Attitudes Toward the Distribution of Vaccines Against COVID‐19: The Swiss Case

Abstract

With the arrival of vaccines against the novel coronavirus in late 2020, the issue of how vaccines should be distributed and which groups should be prioritized has become salient. We study popular attitudes toward the distribution of COVID‐19 vaccines and how these have changed over the course of the pandemic in Switzerland, drawing on data from two rounds of an original public opinion survey conducted in the spring and winter of 2020. We find that the public supports prioritizing vulnerable groups such as health care workers or the elderly. We also find a notable degree of cross‐generational solidarity: younger age cohorts prioritize the elderly, while older groups prioritize (typically younger) health care workers. We then examine whether this finding is not in fact driven by vaccine hesitancy. This is not the case for older age groups, whose solidarity thus seems to be genuine. Vaccine hesitancy is an issue among younger groups, however.

Prioritization preferences for COVID-19 vaccination are consistent across five countries

“…This finding suggests that the public prefers those who are most likely to be severely impacted by an infection, and those who are most needed to mitigate the most adverse effects of the pandemic on the country. This is largely line with expectations based on utilitarian principles as well as with recent evidence from other studies (Duch et al, 2021;Gollust et al, 2020;Knotz et al, 2021a;Luyten et al, 2022;Persad et al, 2020;Reeskens et al, 2021).…”

“…Our findings complement evidence from previous studies on vaccine prioritization preferences (Ceccato et al, 2021 ; Duch et al, 2021 ; Gollust et al, 2020 ; Knotz et al, 2021a ; Luyten et al, 2022 ; Persad et al, 2021 ; Reeskens et al, 2021 ; Schaeffer and Haderup Larsen, 2022 ), by highlighting that the public’s prioritization preferences are not only remarkably consistent across the five countries we study, but also within each country, and suggesting low levels of polarization about who should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination.…”

“…High “deservingness” accrues to those in objective need of the resource, who have no control over their circumstances, or are deserving on the basis of past behavior. Applied to vaccine prioritization, Knotz et al ( 2021a , p. 299) argue that health-care workers should be considered the most deserving, followed by those with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, and others with increased risk exposure, such as teachers or police officers. In that sense, applying the deservingness heuristic would lead to outcomes similar to the utilitarian heuristic.…”

How should COVID-19 vaccines be distributed between the Global North and South: a discrete choice experiment in six European countries

“…Recent empirical literature has explored public preferences for the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines. A majority of these studies examined public opinion on prioritisation within high-income countries and when COVID-19 vaccine availability was still heavily constrained in those countries ( Duch et al, 2021 ; Gollust et al, 2020 ; Knotz et al, 2021 ; Luyten et al, 2020 ; Persad et al, 2021 ; Reeskens et al, 2021 ; Sprengholz et al, 2021 ). Based on data from online surveys and survey experiments, the studies revealed substantial public support for prioritising frontline healthcare workers and clinically vulnerable groups ( Duch et al, 2021 ; Persad et al, 2021 ).…”

How Should COVID-19 Vaccines be Distributed between the Global North and South? A Discrete Choice Experiment in Six European Countries

“…A majority of these studies examined public opinion on prioritisation within high-income countries and when COVID-19 vaccine availability was still heavily constrained in those countries. (Duch et al, 2021; Gollust et al, 2020; Knotz et al, 2021; Luyten et al, 2020; Persad et al, 2021; Reeskens et al, 2021; Sprengholz et al, 2021) Based on data from online surveys and survey experiments, the studies revealed substantial public support for prioritising frontline healthcare workers and clinically vulnerable groups. (Duch et al, 2021; Persad et al, 2021) To our knowledge, only four studies to date have examined individuals’ preferences on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across national borders.…”