Public Health Resources, Religion, and Freedom as Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: A Global Study of 89 Countries

Abstract

The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated adequate compliance to safe and effective vaccinations developed against the disease. Vaccination reduces high infection, morbidity, and mortality rates, develops herd immunity, and alleviates overburdened healthcare systems and massive economic costs. COVID-19 also raised awareness about the importance of robust health systems, notably public health competence and the number and training of community health workers. Using the World Health Organization, Global Development of Applied Community Studies project, and other available cross-sectional secondary data on 89 countries, we found that the strength of community health training and research (CHTR), the importance of religion, and freedom score (political rights, civil liberties) are associated with COVID-19 full-vaccination rate. Significant bivariate correlations included per-capita-GDP, number of nurses, per-capita health spending, aged population, noncommunicable disease rate, life satisfaction, government response stringency, nonviolent activism, education, and strength of community development, urban planning, and liberation theology fields. Our assessment of CHTR contribution to the COVID-19 response revealed a great resource for effectively targeting vaccine-hesitant individuals and increasing vaccination rates. The results suggest that to motivate vaccine adherence countries need adequate community health workforce training and research, a population not hesitant to adhere to public health measures based on religion, and societal-level freedoms.