A new study published in The Lancet has found that women and older people are more likely to hesitate before taking Covid-19 vaccines. The study analysed data from more than 1.1 million people in England during the Covid pandemic.
Researchers from Imperial College London tracked people between January 2021 and March 2022. They studied vaccine uptake and the reasons why some people chose not to get vaccinated. The study found that vaccine hesitancy was mainly linked to worries about vaccine safety and effectiveness.
The likelihood of remaining unvaccinated was higher among elderly people, women, unemployed individuals, people living in poorer areas, those with lower education levels, and people who had already had Covid-19.
The researchers identified eight main types of vaccine hesitancy. These included fear of side effects, doubts about how well vaccines work, concern about long-term health effects, mistrust of vaccine makers, and a belief that Covid-19 was not a serious personal risk.
The study showed clear differences between men and women. Men were more likely to say Covid-19 was not a personal risk to them. Women, however, were more worried about fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding-related effects of the vaccine.
Age also played an important role. People aged 74 years and above were more likely to be against vaccines in general compared to young adults aged 18 to 24.
Overall, only 3.3 per cent of participants showed some level of vaccine hesitancy. Hesitancy was highest in January 2021, at about 8 per cent, but steadily declined as vaccination campaigns progressed. By early 2022, it had dropped to 1.1 per cent.
There was a small rise in hesitancy to about 2.2 per cent during the Omicron wave in early 2022.
Researchers said public confidence increased over time and many early concerns were addressed. They added that some worries, such as those related to pregnancy, were easier to resolve through clear information and guidance.
