The Impact of Vulnerability and Perceived Scarcity on COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance

Vaccine hesitancy involves general doubts about vaccines and reluctance to follow vaccine guidelines. It has long been a serious public health challenge, as evidenced by recurring outbreaks of preventable diseases even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors have demonstrated with forthcoming research that perceived vaccine scarcity can decrease COVID-19 vaccine demand, contradicting extant literature on scarcity and demand. Findings from this forthcoming research also indicate that trust in doctors can lessen the impact of perceived vaccine scarcity. The next stage of this research will examine the effect of perceived vaccine scarcity on vaccine acceptance in vulnerable communities. The contribution will be twofold. First, using a novel vulnerability index, the authors will explore how perceived COVID-19 vaccine scarcity impacts vaccine hesitancy based on the individual’s vulnerability profile and trust in doctors. Second, a better understanding of how different types of vulnerability influence vaccine acceptance can lead to significant improvements in overall wellbeing within the community by allowing health providers to better tailor health outreach to specific patient groups for both this crisis and future global health emergencies.