Analyzing factors determining vaccination willingness against COVID-19 in Germany 2020
Caroline Dotter,
Sonja Haug,
Rainer Schnell,
Anna Scharf,
Amelie Altenbuchner,
Karsten Weber
Affiliations
Caroline Dotter
Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; Corresponding author.
Sonja Haug
Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Rainer Schnell
Research Methodology Group, University of Duisburg-Essen, Forsthausweg 2, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
Anna Scharf
Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Amelie Altenbuchner
Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Karsten Weber
Institute for Social Sciences and Technology Assessment (IST), Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg, Seybothstraße 2, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
The study is based on a German single-topic population survey on vaccination willingness against COVID-19 (VWC) by the authors (2020, n = 2014). The single-topic survey allowed us to test several competing explanations for VWC, as discussed in the literature. The VWC in the sample was 67.3%. Logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting VWC. Being at high risk from COVID-19 and having received flu vaccination have a positive impact on VWC. Perceived VWC of friends has a strong positive effect on respondents’ VWC. Bivariate relationships of gender, age, and level of education with VWC were no longer significant in a multivariate analysis. Trust in alternative medicine and belief in conspiracy theories have a negative effect on VWC.