Hesitant or not? A global survey of potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine

TLDR

COVID‑19 vaccines are in development and may be available by 2021. The study surveyed 13,426 adults in 19 countries to assess potential vaccine acceptance and its determinants. Respondents were surveyed in June 2020 and univariate logistic regressions examined demographic associations. Overall, 71.5 % would likely take a vaccine and 61.4 % would follow employer advice, while acceptance varied widely by country, higher trust in government information increased uptake, and tailored interventions are needed to boost acceptance.

Abstract

Abstract A number of COVID-19 vaccines are under development, with one or more possibly becoming available in 2021. We conducted a global survey in June 2020 of 13,426 people in 19 countries to determine potential acceptance rates of a COVID-19 vaccine and factors influencing acceptance. We ran univariate logistic regressions to examine the associations with demographic variables. 71.5% reported they would be very or somewhat likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine; 61.4% reported they would accept their employer’s recommendation to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Differences in acceptance across countries ranged from almost 9 in 10 (China) to fewer than 6 in 10 (Russia). Respondents reporting higher levels of trust in information from government sources were more likely to accept a vaccine, and take their employer’s advice to do so. Targeted interventions addressing age, sex, income, and education level are required to increase and sustain public acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine.