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Discrimination backfires? Minority ethnic disparities in vaccine hesitancy

Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: A number of minority ethnic groups (MEGs) exhibited persistent reluctance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This paper attempts to empirically identify and validate some of the contentious behavioral determinants for vaccine hesitancy (VH) that remain unexplained including the role of risk perceptions, trust in government institutions, and prior experiences of racism and trauma. We draw on unique longitudinal data from a minority-boosted sample that was collected in the United Kingdon (UK). We document robust evidence of MEG disparities in VH, which declined between November 2020 and March 2021. While VH is associated to both historical and current distrust in government, risk beliefs, exposure to racism, and an individuals socio-economic background, these factors do not fully explain MEG disparities. Furthermore, similar patterns of inequality are observed when we examine MEG disparities in healthcare use, suggesting that disparities in VH reflect broader unobservable structural barriers to healthcare access. • COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is higher among some minority ethnic groups (MEGs). • Factors like trust in government, inaccurate risk perceptions, and experiences of racism are examined. • Data was collected in the UK from a minority-boosted sample between November 2020 and March 2021. • Distrust, risk beliefs, racism, and socio-economic factors do not fully explain the disparities among MEGs. • Similar healthcare inequalities suggest that structural barriers limit access to healthcare for these groups.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2024.101441
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,830
OpenAlex ID: W4403566443
FWCI: 0.866
Cites: 45
Cited by: 2
Related to: 10