Why are some people reluctant to be vaccinated for COVID-19? A cross-sectional survey among U.S. Adults in May-June 2020

Abstract

Understanding reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is necessary to ensure maximum uptake, needed for herd immunity. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between May 29-June 20, 2020 among a national sample of U.S. adults ages 18 years and over to assess cognitive, attitudinal and normative beliefs associated with not intending to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Of 1,219 respondents, 17.7% said that they would not get a vaccine and 24.2% were unsure. In multivariable analyses controlled for gender, age, income, education, religious affiliation, health insurance coverage, and political party affiliation, those who reported that they were unwilling be vaccinated (versus those who were willing) were less likely to agree that vaccines are safe/effective (Relative Risk Ratio (RRR): 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31, 0.66), that everyone has a responsibility to be vaccinated (RRR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.52), that public authorities should be able to mandate vaccination (RRR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.98), and that if everyone else were vaccinated they would not need a vaccine (RRR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.78). Our results suggest that health messages should emphasize the safety and efficacy of vaccines, as well as the fact that vaccinating oneself is important, even if the level of uptake in the community is high.

A Theory-Based Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among African Americans in the United States: A Recent Evidence

“…Consistent with previous reports, the Republican political affiliation had greater proportion of vaccine hesitancy as opposed to those being Democrats [13,[46][47][48][49]. These findings suggest the need for Republican party leaders and especially African American Republican role models to support openly the COVID-19 vaccine campaigns.…”

Disparities in national and state estimates of COVID-19 vaccination receipt and intent to vaccinate by race/ethnicity, income, and age group among adults ≥ 18 years, United States

“…Our results reinforce the recognized importance of strategies for reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and increasing trust in these populations through community-sensitive messages from trusted sources about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, ensuring that healthcare providers are recommending (or having discussions about the importance of) vaccination, and addressing access barriers to vaccination by having vaccines available in convenient locations. [26] , [27] , [28] …”

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts and the Reproduction of Urban Spatial Inequality: Disparities Within Large US Cities in March and April 2021 by Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Composition

“…Concern over vaccine hesitancy in the USA has abounded, but framing vaccination solely as a matter of individual choice obscures structural and material impediments. Researchers mostly attribute stagnant US vaccination rates to misinformation, mistrust in institutions, and political party affiliation [53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64]. At the same time, survey evidence suggests vaccination was linked to SES in Spring 2021 [65].…”