Perceptions and attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccines: narratives from members of the UK public

Abstract

Aim The aim of the paper is to enhance understanding of how members of the public make sense of the Covid-19 vaccines and to understand the factors influencing their attitudes towards such artefacts of pandemic governance. Methods The paper draws on 23 online in-depth interviews with members of the UK public and builds on relevant literature to examine participants’ perceptions of the benefits and risks of Covid-19 vaccines, the sources that have shaped their attitudes, and the level of trust they have towards the government’s handling of the pandemic through vaccines. Results The findings indicate that participants generally felt that the benefits of having the vaccine outweigh the risks and that Covid-19 vaccines are a crucial mechanism for enabling society to return to normal. Vaccine acceptance was, for some, strongly linked to a sense of social responsibility and the duty to protect others. However, some participants expressed concerns with regard to the side-effects of Covid-19 vaccines and their perceived potential impact on fertility and DNA makeup. Participants used various sources of information to learn about Covid-19 vaccines and understand their function, benefits, and risks. The majority of participants criticised the government’s response during the early stages of the pandemic yet felt positive about the vaccine rollout. Conclusion Just as with any other vaccination programme, the success of the Covid-19 immunisation campaigns does not only depend on the efficacy of the vaccines themselves or the ability to secure access to them, but also on a myriad of other factors which include public compliance and trust in governments and health authorities. To support an effective immunisation campaign that is capable of bringing the pandemic to an end, governments need to understand public concerns, garner trust, and devise adequate strategies for engaging the public and building more resilient societies.

BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine has no Adverse Effect on Women’s In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes and Fertility

“…From a clinical aspect, it has been shown that this vaccine doesn't affect performance and implantation in assisted reproductive cycles following vaccination [26,27]. However, despite those studies, low compliance to the vaccine peruse [10,[28][29][30]. The impetus for this study came about due to the persistent misinformation and rumors widely disseminated on social media about the effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine on women's fertility.…”

Cruise market investigation and price optimization: what do consumers want?

“…Example questions include: "Cruise travel is too expensive" (financial risk); "Cruise travel is a waste of time" (time risk); "Political tension between my country and my preferred cruise destination makes me feel uncomfortable to take a cruise" (politics risk); "Taking a cruise is putting my health at risk" (health risk); "The language barrier is a problem with cruise travel" (cultural risk) (Reisinger & Mavondo, 2006). Two new variables (vaccine perceptions and protective behaviors) were developed based on health education research (Syan et al, 2021;Resnicow et al, 2021;Ajana, Engstler, Ismail, & Kousta, 2022). Example questions include "When the COVID-19 vaccine is ready, I would like to take the vaccine;" "Taking the COVID-19 vaccine before cruise travel is necessary for me" (vaccine perceptions) and "Using hand sanitizer that contains at least 75% alcohol;" "Social distancing, keeping about 6 feet between yourself and other people" (protective behaviors).…”

Risk consciousness and public perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine passports

“…The focus of the study was on exploring participants' understandings of and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination passports as well as the factors, such as risk perceptions, influencing these. This article presents the findings pertinent to the vaccine passports, whereas findings pertinent to the vaccines are presented in another article (Ajana et al, 2022). At the time of conducting the interviews, COVID-19 vaccine passports were in the initial state of being introduced in the United Kingdom.…”