Australians' attitudes to mRNA vaccination in humans and animals: A cross-sectional survey

COVID-19 vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technologies have been commercially available since 2021. The platform is being used to develop new vaccines for people and animals, but not without controversy. Pockets of public resistance to COVID-19 vaccines has contributed to the slowing of mRNA research in some countries (e.g. the United States), while others (e.g. Australia) are poised to approve new vaccines. We set out to understand 1) whether Australians express different attitudes to mRNA vaccines compared to conventional vaccines, 2) about willingness to be vaccinated with mRNA vaccines in the event of a future infectious disease emergency, and 3) attitudes towards consumption of beef and milk from mRNA vaccinated cattle.

Cross-sectional, self-administered online survey of the Australian public aged over 18. We performed descriptive statistics analyses on all variables. Associations between variables was assessed using chi-squared tests. Variables associated with willingness to have an mRNA vaccine in future with a significance level of p < 0.25 were entered into a backward stepwise logistic regression model, using a significance level of p < 0.05. Missing data was not included in multivariate analyses. Sentiment and thematic analyses conducted on open text responses.

Support for vaccination was high, but there was stronger support for traditionally manufactured vaccines than for mRNA-based vaccines, which are not well understood. Acceptance of mRNA vaccination in an emergency is associated with voluntariness, understanding and higher trust. Animal vaccination is not well understood and support for consumption of meat and milk products from mRNA vaccinated cattle was mixed.

Vaccine manufacturers, public health and animal health policy makers should anticipate the potential for lower public acceptance of mRNA vaccines and milk and meat products from mRNA vaccinated cattle. Enthusiasm for scientific development of new vaccine technologies must be matched by enthusiastic public acceptability if new vaccines are to be optimally used.