Who Got Vaccinated for COVID-19? Evidence from Japan

Abstract

Vaccination has been critical to reducing infections and deaths during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While previous studies have investigated attitudes toward taking a vaccine, studies on the determinants of COVID-19 vaccination behavior are scant. We examine what characteristics, including socioeconomic and non-economic factors, are associated with vaccination behavior for COVID-19 in Japan. We use a large nationwide online survey with approximately 10,000 participants. As of September 2021, 85% of the respondents said that they had received or would receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Employing logistic regression analysis on vaccination behavior, we found that vaccination rates are higher among those who are older, married, educated, and/or work in a large company. On the other hand, vaccination rates tend to be lower among the self-employed, younger women, and those with poor mental health. Income did not significantly correlate with vaccination. Medical workers were found to have a relatively high rate of vaccination. Although attitude towards risk and time preference were not crucial factors for vaccination, fear of infection, infection prevention behavior, and agreement with government policies on behavioral restrictions in crisis situations positively correlated with vaccination.

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“…As highlighted by Brewer et al (2017), interventions such as reducing barriers can directly facilitate vaccination uptake [41]; our work adds to existing evidence that free access to vaccines may effectively promote vaccination among groups that are under-immunized due to financial burden. Additionally, migrants with higher education and older adults (≥ 60 years) were less likely to be hesitant; this result was also found among Japanese citizens [30,50]. Migrants with lower educational levels may lack knowledge regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, leading to a lower vaccination intention [51].…”

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