Understanding the phases of vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy is an important feature of every vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination is not an exception. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has exhibited different phases and has shown both temporal and spatial variation in these phases. This has likely arisen due to varied socio-behavioural characteristics of humans and their response towards COVID 19 pandemic and its vaccination strategies. This commentary highlights that there are multiple phases of vaccine hesitancy: Vaccine Eagerness, Vaccine Ignorance, Vaccine Resistance, Vaccine Confidence, Vaccine Complacency and Vaccine Apathy. Though the phases seem to be sequential, they may co-exist at the same time in different regions and at different times in the same region. This may be attributed to several factors influencing the phases of vaccine hesitancy. The complexities of the societal reactions need to be understood in full to be addressed better. There is a dire need of different strategies of communication to deal with the various nuances of all of the phases. To address of vaccine hesitancy, an understanding of the societal reactions leading to various phases of vaccine hesitancy is of utmost importance.

COVID-19 vaccination refusal trends in Kenya over 2021

“…[1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] .…”

Improving preparedness for next pandemics: Max level of COVID-19 vaccinations without social impositions to design effective health policy and avoid flawed democracies

“… Patterson et al2022 show that the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine can be low because of issues concerning the uncertainty about safety of vaccines, the respect of personal rights, poor communication policies, etc. Kumar et al (2022) argue that vaccine hesitancy has temporal and spatial variations associated with many socio-behavioral characteristics of humans, their psychological responses towards COVID 19 pandemic and vaccination strategies of governments. The vast literature in these topics analyzes different aspects of vaccinations and societal reactions, nevertheless the maximum level of vaccinable people against COVID-19 without coercion in countries is hardly known but of utmost importance for effective health strategies.…”

Drivers of the Intention to Receive a COVID-19 Booster Vaccine: Insights from the UK and Australia

“…As stated, the cross-sectional data presented here provide a snapshot of vaccine intent measured during the initial onset of the ‘omicron’ wave and rollout of the booster vaccine programme in each country. Hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is known to vary over time [ 81 , 82 ] and as such longitudinal research is required to track changes in the predictors of continued vaccination, including as new vaccines and changes in vaccine composition arise. Similarly, intention, but not uptake, was measured.…”