The social and socio-political embeddedness of COVID-19 vaccination decision-making: A five-country qualitative interview study from Europe

• Published in: Vaccine 2023-03, Vol.41 (12), p.2084-2092
• Main Authors: Zimmermann, Bettina M., Paul, Katharina T., Araújo, Emília R., Buyx, Alena, Ferstl, Sebastian, Fiske, Amelia, Kraus, David, Marelli, Luca, McLennan, Stuart, Porta, Vittoria, Prainsack, Barbara, Radhuber, Isabella M., Saxinger, Gertrude
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Austria; Ciências da Saúde; Ciências Médicas; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Decision analysis; Decision making; Europe; Germany; Hesitancy; Humans; Immunization; Influenza Vaccines; Italy; Pandemics; Perception; Policy; Portugal; Public health; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative Research; Reduzir as desigualdades; Science & Technology; Social context; Social environment; Social factors; Switzerland; Typology; Vaccination; Vaccine; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccines
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.012

•This in-depth qualitative interview study of individual COVID-19 vaccination decisionmaking in five European countries offers new insights for policymakers and scholars.•Decisionmaking regarding COVID19 vaccination is shaped by the social, personal, and political context in which people make decisions regarding vaccination.•Stances towards COVID19 vaccination may change over time and booster vaccination programs must take the dynamic nature of attitudes into account. The uptake ofCOVID-19 vaccines has varied considerably across European countries. This study investigates people’s decision-making process regarding vaccination by analyzing qualitative interviews (n = 214) with residents from five European countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. We identify three factors that shape vaccination decision-making: individual experiences and pre-existing attitudes towards vaccination, social environment, and socio-political context. Based on this analysis, we present a typology of decision-making regarding COVID-19 vaccines, where some types present stable stances towards vaccines and others change over time. Trust in government and relevant stakeholders, broader social factors, and people’s direct social environment were particularly relevant to these dynamics. We conclude that vaccination campaigns should be considered long-term projects (also outside of pandemics) in need of regular adjustment, communication and fine-tuning to ensure public trust. This is particularly pertinent for booster vaccinations, such as COVID-19 or influenza.