COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Most participants held vaccines in general high regard, but COVID-19 vaccines prompted more divided responses than established vaccines. Globally, a majority of survey respondents indicated willingness to accept a vaccine proven safe and effective, with trust in healthcare systems as a key driver. Indian vaccine hesitancy is primarily driven by complacency, safety doubts, and inconvenience of access. The rapid development timeline of COVID-19 vaccines was the most common source of doubt among participants. Hearing about adverse reactions experienced by peers deterred some participants from accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Negative personal memories of childhood vaccination pain contributed to apprehension about COVID-19 vaccines. Participant attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination fell into four categories: outright acceptance, ambivalence, general pro-vaccine sentiment without COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and outright rejection.