This technical report gives an overview of a large project on vaccination acceptance and demand and illustrates its outcomes and lessons learnt. The overarching objective of the project, started in 2019 and completed in 2022, was to facilitate and execute research on vaccine confidence by identifying behavioural determinants of vaccine hesitancy across different subgroups of the population, like parents and healthcare workers, for specific categories of vaccines in several Member States of the European Union. Furthermore, the project seized the opportunity to take stock of the progress made in understanding the behavioural determinants of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. This invaluable knowledge is fundamental to improved health emergency preparedness, response plans and infrastructures.
Vaccination
A Pulse survey on nearly 6000 respondents from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Poland, France, and Sweden took place in May 2022 to investigate the beliefs and perceptions of EU citizens on the current COVID-19 pandemic phase and its future waves. Most respondents (about 70%) believes that the COVID-19 pandemic in their own country is at “post-peak” phase. Unvaccinated respondents are more likely to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is finished compared to vaccinated ones. They also are less likely to want to take up the vaccine in the future, compared to the already vaccinated. Finally, vaccinated individuals who think that a next wave is unlikely to happen tend to be undecided about getting a COVID-19 booster.