Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

This chapter is the second most technical chapter of the book and follows from Chap. 8 , intending to identify the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Employing a range of econometric techniques, including Pooled Ordinary Least Squares, Panel Fixed Effects, and Instrumental Variables regressions, we determine the variables significantly associated with the Vaccine Positive Attitude Index (VPAI) across ten countries (refer to Chap. 8 ) from 1 February 2021 to 31 July 2021. Our analysis offers valuable insights into the factors influencing attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines, addressing potential endogeneity and reverse causality to enhance the robustness of our findings. We aim to provide policymakers with actionable information to bolster vaccine uptake globally by explaining the relationships between various factors and vaccine acceptance. Drawing from Chaps. 7 and 8 , we highlight a decline in the VPAI trend over the study period, with Belgium and the Netherlands as notable exceptions, experiencing positive trends. Our regression models reveal significant associations between positive attitudes toward vaccines and factors such as information about vaccine safety and side effects, trust in government vaccine rollout procedures, and the role of social media in disseminating vaccine-related information. Based on our findings, we propose policy measures to improve vaccine acceptance, emphasising the need for transparent and accessible communication, community engagement, and encouraging positive emotions toward vaccination. Additionally, we acknowledge the limitations of our study, including the reliance on Twitter data and the temporal constraints inherent in pandemic research. Nonetheless, our insights contribute to informed decision-making and pave the way for future research to expand and refine our understanding of vaccine hesitancy on a global scale.