Vaccine hesitancy due to vaccine country of origin, vaccine technology, and certification

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy is a global health threat which may hinder the widespread acceptance of several COVID-19 vaccines. Following the collection of 2470 responses from an anonymous questionnaire distributed between October and November 2020 across Israel, we analyzed the responses of physicians, life science graduates (biology, virology, chemistry, etc.), and the general public to whether they would obtain a COVID-19 vaccine with particular vaccine characteristics such as vaccine country of origin, technology, side effect profile, efficacy, and other attributes. Physicians and life science graduates were least likely to accept a vaccine based on mRNA technology (30%) while the general population seemed to adopt any vaccine technology if the declared efficacy is above 90% and the country of manufacturing is the USA/UK rather than China or Russia. However, current inoculation rates in Israel far outpace our predicted rate. Our results highlight the importance of tailored vaccine educational campaigns based on population demographic details and specific vaccine concerns.

Sentiments Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination among Graduate Students in Singapore

“…Country of origin of vaccine was also previously reported to be an important factor. Respondents from Israel preferred vaccines manufactured in USA/UK rather than China [61], while respondents from China expressed preference for China-made over foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines [62]. With the world preparing to ease travel restrictions when the pandemic subsides, different countries have imposed different travel restrictions that only allow those vaccinated with specific vaccines developed in specific countries through their borders [63].…”

Communication about vaccine efficacy and COVID-19 vaccine choice: Evidence from a survey experiment in the United States

“…Similarly, the slightly greater preference for Vaccine A among the unvaccinated may reflect the lesser burden of a one-shot regimen. However, the differences are substantively small and largely mirror past research finding that the number of required shots and vaccine type have a relatively modest effect on vaccine choice [ 9 , 21 , 27 , 28 ].…”

“…Several studies have examined the influence of vaccine type on public preferences. An analysis of public opinion in Israel showed greater hesitancy to an mRNA vaccine [ 27 ], though an analysis of students in Italy suggested greater hesitancy toward a viral vector reverse [ 28 ]. On the other hand, a study in the United States showed little evidence that vaccine type significantly influenced vaccine choice [ 9 ].…”

“…The vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson/Janssen received FDA Emergency Use Authorization in the United States as a single-shot regimen. Several studies suggest that a two-dose regimen decreases vaccination intention, though the size of the effect varied across studies and contexts [ 9 , 21 , 27 ].…”

The roots of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: evidence from Hungary

“…Attention, scrutiny, and stakes are clearly much higher during this public health crisis than ever before in recent decades and therefore, there are several factors of vaccine hesitancy that have become more prominent in general. For example, new fronts of vaccine hesitancy were introduced into the mainstream as a survey conducted in Israel found that determinants of trust levels towards Covid-19 vaccines have increasing degrees of importance within geographical and technological dimensions, whereby whether the vaccine is coming from China, the US, or Russia and whether it employs mRNA, Vector, or traditional technologies also plays a role (Dror et al, 2021 ).…”