Belief in vaccine myths and vaccine uptake in Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

IntroductionSince its emergence in December 2019, COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths worldwide. While vaccines are largely available in most places, including the United States (U.S.), vaccine uptake is lower than is desirable from a public health perspective. ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is to examine belief in vaccine myths, including what individual and place characteristics underpin such beliefs, and uptake of vaccines – as well as the role of belief in myths in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine. MethodsWe use weighted survey data from an online panel of 529 Utah adult residents. ResultsSixty-nine percent of our sample was fully vaccinated at the time of taking the survey. We find that belief in vaccine myths varies among Utahns, with the highest percentage seeing the vaccines as unsafe because of their rapid development. Those who are older, are more religious (including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), have less formal education, and are more conservative were more likely to have medium and/or higher levels of belief in vaccine myths. We find that belief in vaccine myths is associated with lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake, even when controlling for other factors. ConclusionUnderstanding what drives vaccination uptake, including the role of belief in emerging vaccine myths, is important for public health measures in this and future outbreaks.