Table 5.
Factor loadings and Descriptive Statistics – Vaccine Hesitancy Related Beliefs.
| EXOGENOUS VARIABLES (VACCINE-RELATED) | Est λ | AUS | NZ | US | ENG | CAN | Overall | F-stat.^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ability to Free-Ride (CA = 0.943; CR = 0.963; AVE = 0.897) | 2.38 (1.55)b | 2.70 (1.58) | 2.95 (1.75)a | 2.72 (1.68) | 2.68 (1.68) | 2.62 (1.64) | 21.39** | |
| There is no need for me to have a COVID-19 vaccine if most people in the community get vaccinated. | 0.951 | 2.38 (1.62)b | 2.70 (1.67) | 2.97 (1.89)a | 2.72 (1.76) | 2.71 (1.77) | 2.63 (1.74) | 20.99** |
| If most people in the community get a COVID-19 vaccine, I do not need to be vaccinated. | 0.943 | 2.40 (1.62)b | 2.68 (1.68) | 2.94 (1.86)a | 2.75 (1.80) | 2.68 (1.77) | 2.62 (1.74) | 18.09** |
| I don’t need to get a COVID-19 vaccine if most people in the community have a COVID-19 vaccine. | 0.948 | 2.38 (1.60)b | 2.70 (1.68) | 2.93 (1.87)a | 2.69 (1.74) | 2.65 (1.75) | 2.60 (1.72) | 18.99** |
| Perceived Vaccine Effectiveness (for individual) (CA = 0.90; CR = 0.94; AVE = 0.83) | 4.78 (1.22)a | 4.62 (1.25) | 4.34 (1.45)b | 4.55 (1.41) | 4.62 (1.39) | 4.61 (1.34) | 17.05** | |
| If I get a COVID-19 vaccine, I will not get sick from COVID-19. | 0.887 | 4.44 (1.41)a | 4.34 (1.43) | 4.08 (1.64)b | 4.30 (1.56) | 4.33 (1.54) | 4.32 (1.51) | 8.67** |
| If I have a COVID-19 vaccine, I will be protected from getting C-19. | 0.927 | 4.84 (1.35)a | 4.65 (1.40) | 4.41 (1.63)b | 4.62 (1.56) | 4.66 (1.50) | 4.67 (1.48) | 13.20** |
| A COVID-19 vaccine will prevent me contracting the disease. | 0.919 | 5.06 (1.32)a | 4.87 (1.34) | 4.53 (1.66)b | 4.73 (1.51) | 4.87 (1.54) | 4.85 (1.48) | 21.40** |
| Side-effects of C-19 Vaccine (CA = 0.86; CR = 0.91; AVE = 0.78) | 4.21 (1.55)b | 4.42 (1.45) | 4.52 (1.62)a | 4.30 (1.58) | 4.34 (1.54) | 4.33 (1.56) | 6.45** | |
| I am not worried at all about adverse side-effects of a COVID-19 vaccine (R) | 0.898 | 4.33 (1.75)b | 4.46 (1.66) | 4.63 (1.85)a | 4.41 (1.87) | 4.45 (1.74) | 4.44 (1.78) | 4.49** |
| I think the C-19 vaccine has undergone enough testing to be safe (R) | 0.861 | 3.98 (1.68)b | 4.28 (1.62)a | 4.29 (1.84)a | 3.99 (1.71)b | 4.07 (1.68) | 4.09 (1.72) | 7.05** |
| I am not concerned at all about potential negative long-term side-effects from a COVID-19 vaccine (R) | 0.887 | 4.33 (1.78)b | 4.53 (1.70) | 4.64 (1.87)a | 4.51 (1.80) | 4.50 (1.79) | 4.47 (1.80) | 4.87** |
| Trust in government (CA = 0.97; CR = 0.97; AVE = 0.83) | 5.26 (1.42)a | 5.27 (1.32)a | 4.21 (1.60)b | 4.74 (1.55)b | 4.97 (1.57) | 4.92 (1.55) | 82.02** | |
| The information I receive about vaccines from the government is reliable and trustworthy. | 0.923 | 5.22 (1.50)a | 5.22 (1.47)a | 4.17 (1.78)b | 4.64 (1.68)b | 4.92 (1.66) | 4.87 (1.66) | 71.67** |
| Government will communicate honestly about the possible health effects of a COVID-19 vaccine. | 0.923 | 5.19 (1.57)a | 5.27 (1.48)a | 4.10 (1.84)b | 4.63 (1.80)b | 4.97 (1.72)a | 4.86 (1.73) | 73.58** |
| If a COVID-19 vaccine is found to be a health risk, government will openly and honestly inform the public. | 0.906 | 5.13 (1.59)a | 5.22 (1.49)a | 4.05 (1.87)b | 4.59 (1.76)b | 4.89 (1.75)a | 4.80 (1.75) | 71.18** |
| I trust government to make safety a priority when approving COVID-19 vaccines. | 0.914 | 5.38 (1.54)a | 5.42 (1.46)a | 4.24 (1.88)b | 4.80 (1.81)b | 5.09 (1.73) | 5.02 (1.73) | 78.42** |
| Government has a history of only approving vaccines once they have been proven safe and effective. | 0.858 | 5.37 (1.43)a | 5.24 (1.45)a | 4.41 (1.79)b | 5.03 (1.58) | 4.99 (1.63) | 5.05 (1.61) | 58.12** |
| I have confidence that government approved COVID-19 vaccines will be safe and effective. | 0.915 | 5.25 (1.55)a | 5.18 (1.54)a | 4.29 (1.80)b | 4.76 (1.73)b | 4.99 (1.69) | 4.94 (1.69) | 54.47** |
| I have confidence in the government to properly assess the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. | 0.929 | 5.26 (1.57)a | 5.31 (1.53)a | 4.21 (1.82)b | 4.74 (1.77)b | 4.97 (1.71) | 4.93 (1.72) | 67.17** |
| Conspiracy Beliefs about Vaccination (CA=0.972; CR=0.976; AVE=0.838) | 3.17 (1.50)b | 3.46 (1.52) | 3.77 (1.57)a | 3.52 (1.57) | 3.36 (1.59) | 3.48 (1.56) | 25.43** | |
| Vaccine safety data is often fabricated. | 0.935 | 3.26 (1.67)b | 3.61 (1.69) | 3.76 (1.81)a | 3.46 (1.78) | 3.43 (1.74) | 3.53 (1.74) | 9.47** |
| Immunizing children is harmful and this fact is covered up. | 0.901 | 2.62 (1.64)b | 3.01 (1.69) | 3.38 (1.88)a | 3.14 (1.88) | 3.05 (1.79) | 3.08 (1.79) | 22.34** |
| Pharmaceutical companies cover up the dangers of vaccines. | 0.902 | 3.54 (1.70)b | 3.87 (1.70) | 4.00 (1.82)a | 3.77 (1.71) | 3.56 (1.80)b | 3.83 (1.74) | 9.13** |
| People are deceived about vaccine effectiveness. | 0.921 | 3.29 (1.72)b | 3.65 (1.67) | 3.88 (1.79)a | 3.62 (1.69) | 3.45 (1.76) | 3.66 (1.71) | 13.40** |
| Vaccine effectiveness data is often fabricated. | 0.935 | 3.24 (1.66)b | 3.50 (1.66) | 3.83 (1.77)a | 3.62 (1.75) | 3.42 (1.77) | 3.59 (1.72) | 13.68** |
| People are deceived about vaccine safety. | 0.920 | 3.27 (1.70)b | 3.48 (1.72) | 3.88 (1.79)a | 3.52 (1.75) | 3.50 (1.69) | 3.59 (1.73) | 13.01** |
| The government is trying to cover up the link between vaccines and autism. | 0.895 | 2.76 (1.65)b | 3.00 (1.66) | 3.37 (1.92)a | 3.14 (1.78) | 2.86 (1.77)b | 3.09 (1.75) | 14.60** |
| People don't know the real truth about the dangers of vaccines. | 0.913 | 3.40 (1.76)b | 3.75 (1.79) | 4.04 (1.87)a | 3.84 (1.74) | 3.53 (1.80)b | 3.80 (1.79) | 15.41** |
| Perceived Effectiveness of C-19 Vaccination (for others) (CA=0.941; CR=0.957; AVE=0.849) | 5.38 (1.32)a | 5.12 (1.35) | 4.64 (1.55)b | 5.08 (1.50) | 5.14 (1.50) | 5.12 (1.45) | 39.63** | |
| If I have a COVID-19 vaccine, it will help protect others in my community from COVID-19. | 0.919 | 5.35 (1.41)a | 5.08 (1.51) | 4.64 (1.72)b | 5.07 (1.62) | 5.15 (1.60) | 5.10 (1.57) | 30.98** |
| I can help protect the health of others in my community by having a COVID-19 vaccine. | 0.932 | 5.42 (1.42)a | 5.18 (1.43) | 4.67 (1.72)b | 5.12 (1.62) | 5.21 (1.57) | 5.16 (1.56) | 35.14** |
| If I have a COVID-19 vaccine it will reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in my community | 0.920 | 5.39 (1.40)a | 5.15 (1.45) | 4.63 (1.71)b | 5.08 (1.63) | 5.14 (1.60) | 5.12 (1.56) | 36.04** |
| I can help increase the level of COVID-19 immunity in my community by having a COVID-19 vaccine. | 0.916 | 5.36 (1.45)a | 5.08 (1.51) | 4.62 (1.76)b | 5.03 (1.63) | 5.06 (1.66) | 5.08 (1.61) | 32.25** |
| Perceived C-19 Vaccine Availability (CA=0.84; CR=0.90; AVE=0.68) | 5.19 (1.14)a | 4.76 (1.11) | 4.43 (1.35)b | 4.66 (1.26)b | 4.78 (1.25) | 4.72 (1.22) | 70.09** | |
| COVID-19 vaccines will be very affordable for me. | 0.825 | 5.06 (1.45)a | 4.60 (1.44)b | 4.43 (1.68)b | 4.82 (1.59) | 4.84 (1.62) | 4.72 (1.55) | 28.96** |
| It will be easy for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available. | 0.866 | 5.22 (1.36)a | 4.81 (1.42) | 4.47 (1.65)b | 4.57 (1.59)b | 4.73 (1.53) | 4.71 (1.52) | 50.53** |
| It will be easy for me to find out where I can get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available. | 0.821 | 5.59 (1.24)a | 5.39 (1.33)a | 4.73 (1.64)b | 4.98 (1.50)b | 5.19 (1.46) | 5.23 (1.44) | 65.65** |
| There will be enough COVID-19 vaccines for everyone who wants one in my community. | 0.771 | 4.91 (1.44)a | 4.25 (1.50)b | 4.10 (1.64)b | 4.25 (1.56)b | 4.35 (1.56) | 4.36 (1.54) | 58.54** |
(R) – item reverse coded; CA = Cronbach Alpha; CR = Composite Reliability; AVE = Average Variance Extracted.
^ Test of differences in means across five countries sampled; */** p < .05/.01. a/b – country mean significantly higher/lower than mean excluding country (p < .05).