Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines Increases Globally

Global willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine increased in 2022, according to a new survey of 23 countries that represent more than 60% of the world’s population, published today in Nature Medicine.

Vaccine acceptance decreased in eight countries however, and nearly one in eight vaccinated respondents were hesitant about receiving a booster dose.

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‘Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines has increased globally, from 75.2 percent in 2021 to 79.1 percent in 2022.’

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This study led by a team of researchers from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), reveals a wide variability between countries and suggests a need to tailor communication strategies to effectively address vaccine hesitancy.

The pandemic is not over, and authorities must urgently address vaccine hesitancy and resistance as part of their COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategy. But to do so effectively, policymakers need solid data on vaccine hesitancy trends and drivers.

Rise in COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Across Highly Populated Countries

To provide these data, researchers performed a series of surveys starting in 2020 in 23 highly populated countries that were impacted significantly by the pandemic including India.

Of the 23,000 respondents (1000 per country surveyed), 79.1% were willing to accept vaccination, up 5.2% from June 2021. The willingness of parents to vaccinate their children also increased slightly, from 67.6% in 2021 to 69.5% in 2022.

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However, eight countries saw an increase in hesitancy (from 1.0% in the U.K. to 21.1% in South Africa). Worryingly, almost one in eight (12.1%) vaccinated respondents were hesitant about booster doses, and booster hesitancy was higher among the younger age groups (18-29).

Therefore, we must remain vigilant in tracking this data, containing COVID-19 variants and addressing hesitancy, which may challenge future routine COVID-19 immunization programs.

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The survey also provides new information on COVID-19 treatments received. Globally, ivermectin was used as frequently as other approved medications, even though it is not recommended by the WHO or other agencies to prevent or treat COVID-19.

Also, of note, almost 40% of respondents reported paying less attention to new COVID-19 information than before, and there was less support for vaccine mandates.

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In some countries, vaccine hesitancy was associated with being female, having no university degree, or lower income. Also, the profile of people paying less attention to the pandemic varied between countries.

These results show that public health strategies to enhance booster coverage will need to be more sophisticated and adaptable for each setting and target population.

Strategies to enhance vaccine acceptance should include messages that emphasize compassion over fear and use trusted messengers, particularly healthcare workers.

Source-Eurekalert