COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.

<h4>Background</h4>High levels of vaccination coverage in populations will be required even with vaccines that have high levels of effectiveness to prevent and stop outbreaks of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation has suggested that governments take a proactive response to vaccine...

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Main Authors: Ben Edwards, Nicholas Biddle, Matthew Gray, Kate Sollis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248892
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author Ben Edwards
Nicholas Biddle
Matthew Gray
Kate Sollis
author_facet Ben Edwards
Nicholas Biddle
Matthew Gray
Kate Sollis
author_sort Ben Edwards
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>High levels of vaccination coverage in populations will be required even with vaccines that have high levels of effectiveness to prevent and stop outbreaks of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation has suggested that governments take a proactive response to vaccine hesitancy 'hotspots' based on social and behavioural insights.<h4>Methods</h4>Representative longitudinal online survey of over 3000 adults from Australia that examines the demographic, attitudinal, political and social attitudes and COVID-19 health behavior correlates of vaccine hesitance and resistance to a COVID-19 vaccine.<h4>Results</h4>Overall, 59% would definitely get the vaccine, 29% had low levels of hesitancy, 7% had high levels of hesitancy and 6% were resistant. Females, those living in disadvantaged areas, those who reported that risks of COVID-19 was overstated, those who had more populist views and higher levels of religiosity were more likely to be hesitant or resistant while those who had higher levels of household income, those who had higher levels of social distancing, who downloaded the COVID-Safe App, who had more confidence in their state or territory government or confidence in their hospitals, or were more supportive of migration were more likely to intend to get vaccinated.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy, which accounts for a significant proportion of the population can be addressed by public health messaging but for a significant minority of the population with strongly held beliefs, alternative policy measures may well be needed to achieve sufficient vaccination coverage to end the pandemic.
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spelling doaj-art-c8ecab970e9b4e76bec0ee3a478e20742025-08-20T02:17:56ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01163e024889210.1371/journal.pone.0248892COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.Ben EdwardsNicholas BiddleMatthew GrayKate Sollis<h4>Background</h4>High levels of vaccination coverage in populations will be required even with vaccines that have high levels of effectiveness to prevent and stop outbreaks of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation has suggested that governments take a proactive response to vaccine hesitancy 'hotspots' based on social and behavioural insights.<h4>Methods</h4>Representative longitudinal online survey of over 3000 adults from Australia that examines the demographic, attitudinal, political and social attitudes and COVID-19 health behavior correlates of vaccine hesitance and resistance to a COVID-19 vaccine.<h4>Results</h4>Overall, 59% would definitely get the vaccine, 29% had low levels of hesitancy, 7% had high levels of hesitancy and 6% were resistant. Females, those living in disadvantaged areas, those who reported that risks of COVID-19 was overstated, those who had more populist views and higher levels of religiosity were more likely to be hesitant or resistant while those who had higher levels of household income, those who had higher levels of social distancing, who downloaded the COVID-Safe App, who had more confidence in their state or territory government or confidence in their hospitals, or were more supportive of migration were more likely to intend to get vaccinated.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy, which accounts for a significant proportion of the population can be addressed by public health messaging but for a significant minority of the population with strongly held beliefs, alternative policy measures may well be needed to achieve sufficient vaccination coverage to end the pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248892
spellingShingle Ben Edwards
Nicholas Biddle
Matthew Gray
Kate Sollis
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
PLoS ONE
title COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
title_full COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
title_fullStr COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
title_short COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population.
title_sort covid 19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the australian population
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248892
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