Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Vaccine Confidence Project

Throughout the world confidence in the Covid vaccine varies




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Vaccine confidence among the public and healthcare professionals is high across most populations, with some exceptions and caveats. Between 2018 and 2020, there was a large increase in public perception towards vaccines across the EU, particularly towards the seasonal influenza vaccine. Many of these 2020 gains have since been reversed. Perceptions towards the importance, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines have declined across the EU between 2020 and 2022. Across the EU, the view that vaccines are safe remains higher than 2018 levels. Yet, EU-wide changes in public perceptions towards the importance and safety of vaccines shows that strong vaccine-dependence and variability in vaccine confidence exist between countries and within sociodemographic characteristics. 



An evaluation into the differences in public confidence between over 65-year-olds and 18-34-year-olds reveals key insights into an increasing ‘vaccine confidence gap’, which needs to be addressed. The difference in vaccine confidence between 65-year-olds and 18-34-year-olds appears to be widening over time across many EU member states, with 18-34-year-olds becoming less confident between 2018 and 2022.

Vaccine confidence among healthcare professionals remains high in 2022 Above 90% of HCPs surveyed in all EU member states agree that vaccines are important. 

Above 90% of HCPs surveyed in all EU member states agree that vaccines are safe, except for France, Greece, and Austria. 

Healthcare professionals across the EU are highly likely to recommend the MMR, seasonal 

influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines to patients, though likelihood to recommend the HPV vaccine shows high variability between countries.

HCPs likelihood to recommend seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women are generally lower than their likelihood to recommend these vaccines to other patients 

Variability in vaccine confidence exists between countries, among vaccination types, and within sociodemographic characteristics.

The age “gap” in confidence is widening between younger and older age groups   

Between 2018 and 2022, there is increasing polarisation between older and younger age groups in terms of perceptions of vaccines with over 65s becoming more confident and 18-34- year-olds growing less confident.


The seasonal influenza vaccine is the only vaccination where an inverse of this trend can be seen, where the gap between older and younger age groups is narrowing.


Research Feed — The Vaccine Confidence Project

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