Analyzing factors determining vaccination willingness against COVID-19 in Germany 2020

Caroline Dotter; Sonja Haug; Rainer Schnell; Anna Scharf; Amelie Altenbuchner; Karsten Weber

doi:10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100342

Analyzing factors determining vaccination willingness against COVID-19 in Germany 2020

Vaccine X. 2023 Jun 30:14:100342. doi: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100342. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Caroline Dotter¹, Sonja Haug¹, Rainer Schnell², Anna Scharf¹, Amelie Altenbuchner¹, Karsten Weber¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
² Research Methodology Group, University of Duisburg-Essen, Forsthausweg 2, 47057 Duisburg, Germany.

Abstract

The study is based on a German single-topic population survey on vaccination willingness against COVID-19 (VWC) by the authors (2020, n = 2014). The single-topic survey allowed us to test several competing explanations for VWC, as discussed in the literature. The VWC in the sample was 67.3%. Logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting VWC. Being at high risk from COVID-19 and having received flu vaccination have a positive impact on VWC. Perceived VWC of friends has a strong positive effect on respondents' VWC. Bivariate relationships of gender, age, and level of education with VWC were no longer significant in a multivariate analysis. Trust in alternative medicine and belief in conspiracy theories have a negative effect on VWC.

Keywords: COVID-19; Complementary alternative medicine; Conspiracy belief; Educational level; Predictors of vaccination; Social influence; Willingness to be vaccinated.