Addressing vaccine hesitancy in developing countries: Survey and experimental evidence

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy presents a major obstacle to widespread COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in developing countries.
• Papua New Guinea, a developing nation, has experienced notably low vaccination rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in Papua New Guinea.
• To identify effective communication strategies for reducing vaccine hesitancy and promoting COVID-19 vaccination.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large, representative phone survey to assess vaccine willingness.
• Conducted an online randomized survey experiment to test the impact of different messaging strategies.

Main Results:

• Phone survey revealed less than 20% of respondents were willing to be vaccinated, citing fear of side effects and low trust.
• In the online experiment, messages highlighting vaccine safety and COVID-19 risks increased vaccination intention by 68% compared to the control group.
• Social norm appeals also reduced hesitancy but showed varied effectiveness across different demographics.

Conclusions:

• Targeted messaging emphasizing safety and disease severity can effectively combat vaccine hesitancy.
• Public health campaigns should consider tailored communication approaches to address diverse concerns and improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake in developing regions.