Eight times more people died of Covid among communities with high vaccine hesitancy

In some instances, conspiracy theories circulated, including rumours of “microchip injections”.

Anti-establishment views fuelled by confusing public health messages contributed to a hesitancy among some people in disadvantaged areas to take Covid-19 vaccinations, according to research.

The study, the first of its type in Ireland, said that misinformation spread by social media and word-of-mouth also “fuelled fears” of side-effects and conspiracy.

In some cases, distrust gave rise to conspiracies, including of “microchip injections” and fears among some Travellers that the vaccine was a means of “ethnic cleansing” because of fake messages that it caused infertility in women.

The study, conducted by the School of Public Health and the College of Science in University College Dublin, focused on a community in Dublin with a high concentration of economic and social disadvantage. They interviewed 12 community representatives based in a local community centre and a hair salon.

The representatives had both professional experience working with target communities – the unemployed, low-income workers, adults in recovery from addiction and Irish Travellers.

The research pointed out that vaccine hesitancy “can and does have dire consequences”, with Covid-19 mortality over a two-year period up to eight times higher among those with high vaccine hesitancy compared to those with ideal vaccination uptake.

Reasons for hesitancy

Community representatives told researchers that “lack of trust” in the effectiveness and safety of vaccines and in the authorities delivering them were “primary drivers” of hesitancy in the community.

They said that among the Traveller community “fear of infertility was a concern amongst women due to the cultural weight placed on having a family”.

Participants said that “anti-establishment” sentiments and distrust of government and health services stemmed from economic disadvantage.

In some instances, conspiracy theories circulated, including rumours of “microchip injections”.

One community health officer said local Travellers feared “malicious intent” in the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which had been prioritised over two-dose vaccines for vulnerable groups, with this being believed to be “a means of ethnic cleansing”.

This worker referred to a tendency towards a “mob mentality”, with Travellers basing their vaccination stance on that of trusted community leaders who spoke out against the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Nearly half of the community representatives emphasised the “role misinformation, spread via social media and word-of-mouth, played in fuelling fears of side-effects and conspiracy”.

Bad communication

Concluding, the research said that pandemic communications missed the objectives that public health messages should be “clear, direct, repeated and positively orientated” to hesitant groups.

The communication contributed to the “entrenchment of anti-authority sentiments” - sentiments stemming from a history of being “let down” by governments and health services.

The research said pressurising those with vaccine doubts to vaccinate “reinforces resistance” and said a better approach was education and outreach. But it said the State must also address the “systemic neglect and marginalisation” experienced by economically and socially disadvantaged individuals.