Interventions for COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

Rowan Terrell (), Abdallah Alami and Daniel Krewski
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Rowan Terrell: School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
Abdallah Alami: School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
Daniel Krewski: School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: Vaccines effectively protect against COVID-19, but vaccine hesitancy and refusal hinder vaccination rates. This systematic review aimed to (1) review and describe current interventions for addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy/refusal and (2) assess whether these interventions are effective for increasing vaccine uptake. The protocol was registered prospectively on PROSPERO and comprehensive search included Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. Only studies that evaluated the effectiveness of non-financial interventions to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were included, while those focusing intentions or financial incentive were excluded. Risk of bias for all included studies was evaluated using Cochrane risk of bias tools. In total, six articles were included in the review (total participants n = 200,720). A narrative synthesis was performed due to the absence of common quantitative metrics. Except for one randomized controlled trial, all studies reported that interventions were effective, increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates. However, non-randomized studies were subject to confounding biases. Evidence on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy interventions remains limited and further evidence is needed for the development of clear guidance on effective interventions to increase vaccine uptake.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine refusal; systematic review; narrative synthesis; vaccine uptake; behavioral interventions; nudges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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