Mandatory vaccination support and intentions to get vaccinated for COVID‐19: Results from a nationally representative general population survey in October 2020 in Greece

Abstract

Objectives To explore rates and factors associated with mandatory vaccination support overall and intentions to get vaccinated specifically for COVID‐19 among individuals in Greece. Methods Using data from a nationally representative cross‐sectional survey conducted in October 2020 among 855 adults (≥18 years) in Greece, we estimated support rates for mandatory vaccination and respondents' intention to get vaccinated for COVID‐19 as well as associations thereof with individual sociodemographic, clinical and contextual characteristics. Results About 74% of respondents supported mandatory vaccination and 62% intended to get vaccinated for COVID‐19. The most prevalent reasons against COVID‐19 vaccination were safety concerns related to the duration of clinical trials and potential side effects. Individuals who reported increased trust in healthcare authorities' recommendations, who revealed that their trust in the State increased due to the way the COVID‐19 pandemic was handled, who used preventive services more often, and those with higher income were more likely to both support mandatory vaccination and to indicate intention to get vaccinated for COVID‐19. Participants with worse or better self‐reported health status (compared to average), younger adults, and females were less likely to intend to get vaccinated for COVID‐19. Conclusion The survey revealed that the majority of the Greek citizens favour mandatory vaccination overall and intend to get vaccinated for COVID‐19, driven mostly by utilization of preventive services and trust in healthcare authorities. However, intention to get vaccinated for COVID‐19 was lower relative to mandatory vaccination support. This suggests a need to intensify evidence‐based yet simplified messaging by esteemed healthcare providers to inform the public on the risks and benefits of vaccines.

Information Framing Effect on Public’s Intention to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccination in China

“…Healthcare professionals expressed the need for trust to be established in the whole vaccination process. Evidence-based information about vaccines should be provided to improve the vaccination rate [ 64 ].…”

Mandate or Not Mandate: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Italian Occupational Physicians towards SARS-CoV-2 Immunization at the Beginning of Vaccination Campaign

“…Even though extensive vaccination mandates were instrumental and effective in improving vaccination rates for those in pediatric ages [ 24 ], it should be stressed that, before the start of the global vaccination campaigns, around 70% of the Western general population was somewhat favorable to get vaccinated as soon as possible [ 2 , 25 , 26 ]. In other words, under favorable conditions, a legal duty to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, might not be necessary [ 27 ]. On the other hand, a legal mandate to get vaccinated for COVID-19, coupled with coercive actions for individuals who opt-out of the vaccination program, might eventually impair the overall acceptance of vaccines, with obvious consequences [ 27 ].…”

“…In other words, under favorable conditions, a legal duty to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, might not be necessary [ 27 ]. On the other hand, a legal mandate to get vaccinated for COVID-19, coupled with coercive actions for individuals who opt-out of the vaccination program, might eventually impair the overall acceptance of vaccines, with obvious consequences [ 27 ]. However, the occurrence of the variants of concern (VoC), as well as uncertainties about the effective immunity elicited by some of the available formulates, may eventually increase the threshold for herd immunity, urging for more severe measures, particularly among high-risk groups.…”

“…Moreover, it is quite obvious that the support for mandatory vaccinations is both influenced by a baseline support and the specific timeframe of its assessment. For example, Giannouchos et al [ 27 ] identified a large support base for the mandatory status among the general population (i.e., 74%), but it should be stressed that support for other mandatory vaccinations in the pre-pandemic period ranged from 65% to 97%.…”

“…In other words, such effectors may collectively reflect the struggle of sampled OPs to cope with a diffuse pathogen that is very difficult to contain, by means of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly in the workplaces, in a sampled population that was characterized by (a good understanding of) SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a very high acceptance of the vaccine. In such settings, vaccine mandates and coercive actions represented by a judgment of unfitness to work for vaccine-hesitant HCWs may be easily perceived as the easiest way to guarantee the safety of workers and patients [ 22 , 23 , 27 , 49 , 51 ].…”