Summary Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continued to mutate and spread in 2022 despite the introduction of safe and effective vaccines and medications. Vaccine hesitancy remains substantial, fueled in part by misinformation. Our third study on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among 23,000 respondents in 23 countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria , Peru, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States), surveyed from June 29 to July 10, 2022, found a willingness to accept vaccination of the 79.1%, 5.2% more than in June 2021. Hesitancy, however, increased in eight countries, from 1.0% (United Kingdom) to 21.1% (South Africa). Nearly one in eight (12.1%) vaccinated respondents are hesitant about booster doses. Overall support for vaccinating children under 18 increased slightly, but declined among parents who were personally hesitant. Nearly two in five (38.6%) respondents reported paying less attention to new information about COVID-19 than before, and support for vaccine mandates declined. Nearly a quarter (24%) of those who became ill reported taking medications to combat COVID-19 symptoms. Vaccination remains a cornerstone of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but broad public support remains elusive. These data can be used by health system decision makers, professionals, advocates, and researchers to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy more effectively. |
Comments
By providing multinational data on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance over three years, this new study may help policymakers address vaccine hesitancy more effectively.
Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines increased globally, from 75.2% in 2021 to 79.1% in 2022, according to a survey in 23 countries representing more than 60% of the world’s population. However, vaccine uptake declined in eight countries and nearly one in eight vaccinated respondents, particularly younger men and women, were hesitant to receive a booster dose. Led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) and published in Nature Medicine, the study highlights wide variability between countries and the need for personalized communication strategies to address the issue of vaccines. hesitation.
“The pandemic is not over and authorities must urgently address vaccine hesitancy and resistance as part of their COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategy,” says Jeffrey V Lazarus, head of the Health Systems Research Group. from ISGlobal, an institution supported by “the Caixa Foundation”. However, to do this effectively, policymakers need solid data on vaccine hesitancy trends (whether it is decreasing or increasing and in which populations) and drivers (factors that influence vaccine acceptance, such as income or education).
To obtain this data, an international collaboration led by Lazarus and Ayman El-Mohandes, dean of CUNY SPH, conducted a series of surveys starting in 2020 in 23 highly populated countries that were hit hard by the pandemic (Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States). The data reported here corresponds to the third survey carried out between June and July 2022.
Of the 23,000 respondents (1000 per country surveyed), 79.1% were willing to accept vaccination. This finding represented a 5.2% increase from June 2021. Parents’ willingness to vaccinate their children also increased slightly, from 67.6% in 2021 to 69.5% in 2022. However, eight countries observed greater hesitation (from 1.0% in the United Kingdom to 21.1% in South Africa). Worryingly, almost one in eight (12.1%) vaccinated respondents were hesitant about booster doses. This hesitancy was greatest among the younger age groups (18-29). “We must remain vigilant in monitoring these data, which contain COVID-19 variants, and address hesitancy, which may challenge future routine COVID-19 immunization programs,” says Ayman El-Mohandes, lead author.
The survey also provides new information about COVID-19 treatments received. Globally, ivermectin was taken as frequently as other approved drugs, although the WHO and other agencies do not recommend its use to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Additionally, nearly 40% of respondents reported paying less attention than before to new information about COVID-19 and having less support for vaccine mandates.
The diverse nature of vaccine hesitancy
In some countries, vaccine hesitancy was associated with variables such as female sex (e.g., China, Poland, and Russia), no college degree (e.g., France, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, and the U.S.), or lower income (e.g., Canada, Germany, Turkey, and the United Kingdom). Furthermore, the profile of people who pay less attention to the pandemic varied between countries.
“Our results show that public health strategies to improve booster coverage will need to be more sophisticated and adaptable for each setting and target population,” says Lazarus. “Strategies to improve vaccine acceptance should include messages that emphasize compassion over fear and use trusted messengers, particularly healthcare workers,” she adds.
Overall, the data provided in the surveys can be useful for health system decision-makers, professionals, advocates, and researchers to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy more effectively. The new study follows on the heels of a global consensus statement on ending COVID-19 as a public health threat, which Lazarus, El-Mohandes and 364 co-authors from 112 countries published in Nature three months ago.
