Social pressure does not encourage people to get Covid-19 vaccine says study

A new study claims that social pressure is not a contributing factor for people to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

A new study has shown that people choosing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, or not, has little to do with social pressure, according to the latest research by the University of Cologne.

Daniel Seddig led the study alongside a team of scientists from the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology, in which they investigated the willingness of people to be vaccinated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study was carried out between April and August 2021 and January 2022, analysing over 5,000 people ranging between the age of 18-74, and has since been published in the Journal Social Science and Medicine.

According to the results, the choice on whether or not to get the Covid-19 vaccine had much more to do with personal belief on the vaccine’s positive or negative outcome rather than any social pressure from friends, family or work colleagues.

Dr. Daniel Seddig stated:

“Trust in science and fear of Covid-19 supported positive attitudes towards vaccination, while negative attitudes were associated with beliefs in conspiracy theories and scepticism towards vaccines in general.”

Due to the conclusions of the study, the researchers plan to advise health care providers and vaccine policymakers to emphasise the “positive impacts” of getting the Covid-19 vaccine.

Speaking on the advice for health care providers, Dr. Seddig stated:

“This explanatory approach could prove considerably more effective, maybe even for the most sceptical, than merely exerting social pressure or pointing out the easy access to the vaccines,” as reported by Blue Sky Education.

The new study follows reports of American supermarket chain Publix refusing to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to children under five.

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