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Women, Elderly More Hesitant About Covid Vaccines, Lancet Study Finds

A major study published in The Lancet reveals that women and older adults exhibit higher levels of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. The research, tracking over 1.1 million people in England, identified key concerns including vaccine effectiveness, side effects, and fertility-related issues. While overall hesitancy rates dropped significantly from 8% to 1.1% during the study period, specific demographic gaps persisted. The findings suggest tailored public health communication is needed to address the distinct concerns of different groups.

Key Points: Vaccine Hesitancy Higher in Women, Elderly: Study

  • Women more hesitant than men
  • Elderly more opposed than youth
  • Hesitancy rooted in efficacy, side effect fears
  • Overall hesitancy declined from 8% to 1.1%
2 min read

Women and elderly more likely to be vaccine-hesitant, says study

A Lancet study of 1.1M people finds women and the elderly are more vaccine-hesitant, citing efficacy, side effects, and fertility concerns.

Women and elderly more likely to be vaccine-hesitant, says study
"We show that certain types of vaccine hesitancy are more readily addressed than others. - Professor Helen Ward"

New Delhi, Jan 13

Women and the elderly are more likely to be vaccine-hesitant, according to a study on Tuesday, which analysed data from more than 1.1 million people.

The study, published in The Lancet, analysed hesitancy based on Covid-19 vaccine uptake and found that hesitancy against vaccines was rooted in concerns about their efficacy. While it reduced over time, it persists in some people.

The researchers from Imperial College London, UK, found that the likelihood of remaining unvaccinated was higher for older people, women, people who were unemployed or living in deprived areas, those with a history of Covid, and people with a lower level of education.

They identified eight categories of vaccine hesitancy, including concerns about effectiveness and side effects, perception of low risk from Covid, and mistrust of vaccine developers, and fear of vaccines and reactions.

Men were more likely than women to report not feeling Covid was a personal risk (18 per cent vs 10 per cent). Women were also more likely to be worried about fertility-related consequences (21 per cent vs 8 per cent), while those aged 74 years or older were more likely to be against vaccines in general compared with 18-24-year-olds (12 per cent vs 2.5 per cent).

More than 40 per cent also reported concerns around long-term health effects, 39 per cent that they wanted to wait to see whether the vaccine worked, and 37 per cent that they had concerns about side effects.

"We show that certain types of vaccine hesitancy are more readily addressed than others, for example, concerns relating to pregnancy or breastfeeding," said co-author Professor Helen Ward from Imperial College.

"Our study suggests that as the vaccine was rolled out, public confidence increased and the original vaccine scepticism was largely overcome," Ward added.

The study followed more than 1.1 million people in England between January 2021 and March 2022 during the Covid pandemic,

Overall, 3.3 per cent of participants reported some degree of Covid vaccine hesitancy. Hesitancy rates declined over time from an initial high of 8 per cent of those surveyed in January 2021, to a low of 1.1 per cent at the start of 2022.

There was a small uptick in hesitancy to over 2.2 per cent in February and March 2022 during the Omicron wave.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The study is from the UK, but the situation was similar here. I remember the fear during the second wave. The government and local health workers did a good job with awareness campaigns eventually. My dadi was scared but our ASHA didi explained everything so patiently.
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Sarah B
The fertility concern statistic for women (21%) is significant and understandable. There was so much misinformation circulating globally. It's encouraging that hesitancy declined over time as real-world data came in. Trust in science takes time to build, especially after a rushed rollout.
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Arun Y
While the study is valid, I feel it's a bit simplistic to just label groups. Hesitancy was also high in rural and tribal areas due to access to correct information. It wasn't just about being a woman or elderly. The "wait and see" approach (39%) was very common and quite logical.
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Meera T
My nani refused for months! She said she lived 75 years without any "foreign injection". It was only when her own doctor, whom she trusts completely, got vaccinated himself and told her to, that she agreed. Personal trust in local figures is key for the elderly.
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Vikram M
Good to see data on this. The uptick during Omicron is interesting – people thought the variant was mild so why get a shot? We must learn from this for future health campaigns. Clear, consistent messaging is everything. Jai Hind.

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