Willing or Hesitant? A Socioeconomic Study on the Potential Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccine in Japan

Bibliographic Data

ID15470735
AuthorsYoshihiko Kadoya (0000-0003-3530-164X, Hiroshima University of Economics), Somtip Watanapongvanich (0000-0002-5137-5756, Hiroshima University of Economics), Pattaphol Yuktadatta (0000-0002-9424-0923, Hiroshima University of Economics), Pongpat Putthinun (0000-0003-2724-290X, Hiroshima University of Economics), Stella T Lartey (0000-0001-9519-7886, Indiana University Bloomington), Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan (0000-0003-2632-3580, Hiroshima University of Economics, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume18
Issue9
Pages4864-4864
Publication date2021-05-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph18094864
PMID34063327
OpenAlexW3158674527
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited25

The worldwide COVID-19 vaccination program is already underway, raising hopes and aspirations to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that halted economic and social activities. However, the issue of vaccine effectiveness and its side-effects is influencing the potential acceptance of vaccines. In this uncertain situation, we used data from a nationwide survey in Japan during February 2021, following the Japanese government's initial phase of COVID-19 vaccination. Our results show that 47% of the respondents are willing to take a vaccine once it is available, while 22% are not willing and another 31% remain indecisive. Our ordered probit regression results show that demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables such as gender, age, subjective health status, children, household income, household assets, financial literacy, future anxiety, and myopic view of the future are associated with willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings suggest that Japan's government should not adopt a one-size-fits-all policy to promote the vaccination program, but rather target people with specific socioeconomic backgrounds who are less willing and more hesitant to take a vaccine

Business · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Government (linguistics · Ordered probit · Pandemic · Population · Probit model · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Vaccination · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Medicine · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy · Virology