Table 3. Motivation phase beliefs.
| Construct and sub-themes | Specific belief | Sample quotes | Frequency intenders (n = 13) | Frequency non-intenders (n = 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attitude (%) | ||||
| Perceived advantages | Advantages of having a COVID-19 vaccination outweigh disadvantages | “I feel like the benefits far outweigh the negatives” “I’d say the disadvantages are always just lower than the advantages” “I feel the risk is outweighed by the benefits” |
3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Peace of mind resulting from being vaccinated | “Just a peace of mind, really” “A certain sense of peace of mind” “Just the peace of mind that I’m less likely to get COVID if I’m getting the vaccine” |
9 (69.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Less likely to contract COVID-19. | “but at least I know I have some level of protection in my body now” “I’m less likely to get COVID and pass it on to other people” |
8 (61.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| A COVID-19 infection will not result in severe illness | “in order for in the future to not get put on a ventilator or be more unwell than you would be even if you didn’t get COVID that badly” | 2 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Less likely to infect others with COVID-19 when being vaccinated | “Without the worry of infecting other people” “also so you don’t contract it, you don’t pass it on to people who are vulnerable and stuff like that” |
8 (61.5) | 1 (20.0) | |
| Ability to travel once vaccinated | “There is the fact that if I want to travel to certain places and a requirement is put in on proof of vaccination, I won’t be excluded” | 5 (38.5) | 2 (40.0) | |
| Ability to socialize once vaccinated | “So travel, and be able to socialize more freely (…)” | 7 (53.8) | 5 (100.0) | |
| Beneficial for the UK economy | “If everything started up again I might have more chance to get a job” “People will be able to go back to work again” |
2 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Going back to normal life because of vaccinations | “I just want some of my pre COVID life back and I feel this is the biggest step in that direction” “May make us like return to normal life for once again” |
3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Disadvantages | Disadvantages of having a COVID-19 vaccination outweigh advantages | “There are more negatives than positives to this” | 0 (0.0) | 5 (100.0) |
| No perceived disadvantages of being vaccinated | “I don’t really see any disadvantages …” “I can’t name any disadvantages of getting a vaccination” |
7 (53.8) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Potential short term side effects | “Feeling ill for the days following it, though I’ve decided that it’s a price I’m willing to pay to be vaccinated. So that is a disadvantage” | 3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Unknown long term side effects | “There’s not really any long term studies, like scientists are just watching as we go along and to see if there’s any long term risk, so I believe that’s the only disadvantage” | 1 (7.7) | 3 (60.0) | |
| People not complying to the other measures anymore | “I think that what I was worried about when the vaccines were started rolling out is that people would get very confident and think, OK well, I have the vaccine, so I’ll just be able to go out and will be able to go to clubs and things like that” | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Perceived effectiveness | Not stopping you from getting the virus | “I do not think the vaccine will stop you from getting the virus” “It doesn’t stop you from catching COVID (…)” |
7 (53.8) | 3 (60.0) |
| Minimizing your response to an infection. | “I think it minimizes your response to it” “(…) since we’ve been vaccinating far far far less people are needing to go to hospital (…)” |
5 (38.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Unknown effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations | “I think only time’s gonna tell” “I don’t really think anybody knows yet” |
0 (0.0) | 2 (40.0) | |
| Perceived importance | COVID-19 vaccinations perceived as important | “I believe the vaccines are extremely important” “I think it is very important just to stop the infection rate from growing” |
13 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| The only way to can end the pandemic. | “There doesn’t seem to be any other solution” “They are probably the only way that we can actually get out of this pandemic” |
8 (61.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Everybody should get vaccinated | “regarding the wider public, I think everyone should” “Very important. I think everybody should get vaccinated” |
2 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Important to get vaccinated for the sake of others | “I think for the elderly more than anything” “Like for myself, no, but for the others around me” |
5 (38.5) | 1 (20.0) | |
| No perceived importance | “I don’t think they are important at all” “I just think if it was that important to curbing COVID cases and protecting people, then all these extra measures wouldn’t need to be taken. So no, I don’t think the vaccinations are as important as we may feel there” |
0 (0.0) | 4 (80.0) | |
| Self-efficacy (%) | ||||
| Perceived difficulties in obtaining the vaccination | Difficult to book an appointment | “The booking system hasn’t been very great” | 1 (7.7) | n/a |
| No practical difficulties in obtaining a vaccination | “I don’t think there are any problems” “No, I can’t think of anything else” |
11 (84.6) | 4 (80.0) | |
| Need for more timeslots available to get vaccinated | “Limited time options for second dose” “More appointment slots I think. Because when I received the text there was only one day available and obviously more days would have enabled me to probably work and get the vaccine” |
5 (38.5) | n/a | |
| Waiting for eligibility | “It took time” “The biggest difficulty that I had was just waiting for, you know, my age group to be eligible” |
3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Need for more/different vaccination locations | “Not easy for myself, so I don’t drive, so I need somebody to drive over to the vaccine centre, but I feel it would be easier if I lived in a different place, for example somewhere like London, where there’s good public transport, (…)” | 6 (46.2) | n/a | |
| Perceived capability–accessibility and availability | Easy to book an appointment | “It was easy to book into the system to get a COVID vaccination” “I just had it through the post and I didn’t have to ask or anything, it just came very easy” |
4 (30.8) | n/a |
| Vaccine centres are easily accessible | “There was a site on my university campus which was about 10-minute walk” “(…), I feel like fairly well catered to in terms of availability and local position I guess” |
13 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Getting vaccinated could not be easier as it is | “I think it’s as easy as it could have been for me in my case” “I think it’s as easy as it could be” |
4 (30.8) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Eligible earlier than expected | “No, it was really quick and much quicker than I thought” “I did expect it to have it like 3 or 4 months later than I did so I wasn’t really even thinking about it. And then it came through so I was quite pleased” |
3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Feeling sufficiently informed | Informed enough to make a decision | “I would say it’s sufficient” “I am more than informed to make that choice and hopefully it stays that way. So I think I’m primarily informed enough to make that decision and choice if need be” |
6 (46.2) | 3 (60.0) |
| Crucial information is lacking | “I’d rather see a long term thing and then be able to make a more informed decision than without, just jumping into something because I like to do research and things like that” | 3 (23.1) | 5 (100.0) | |
| Social influence (%) | ||||
| Modelling | Friends/family all not getting vaccinated | “No one else in my circle is pro vaccine, nor my family” “My immediate circle do not really, are not going to get the vaccine, do not really think about it, and are really terrified of it” |
0 (0.0) | 3 (60.0) |
| Friends/family all getting vaccinated | “Most of my friends get vaccinated (…)” “Some of them who are my age have also been vaccinated, so I am keen to get vaccinated as well” |
10 (76.9) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Mixed opinions within social circle | “It is really mixed, it’s literally a 50/50 split” “It’s a bit sort of hit a mess” |
3 (23.1) | 2 (40.0) | |
| Social norms | Getting vaccinated is the right thing to do | “The expectation is that when you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, you will get vaccinated, because that’s the right thing to do” | 3 (23.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Expert opinions are most important | “The biggest opinion for me was from people who work in healthcare or in the science, and they sort of gave me the opinion that the vaccine would have been rigorously tested and its safe, that was just it for me” | 3 (23.1) | 2 (40.0) | |
| Opinions of other are not influencing personal opinion | “Not really, I think. My mind is pretty made up to be honest” “No, I wouldn’t let that impact me” |
6 (46.2) | 3 (60.0) | |
| Opinions of others reinforce own beliefs | “It probably swayed me towards one or the other, but they’ve all gotten it, so maybe that swayed me a little bit more towards getting it” | 2 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Support and Pressure | People non supportive of the decision not to vaccinate | “So if I chose not to, then that would make me socially ostracized” “I don’t think my friends would be very happy and potentially would also be very angry with me if I decided not to have the vaccine” |
5 (38.5) | 4 (80.0) |
| Support from close social circle | “They’re all positive. All of my friends have had their first jab and are making the appointment to get the second one” “My social circle is taking it well” |
10 (76.9) | 5 (100.0) | |
| People discouraging to vaccine | “I think my dad is against it” “My mom was actually very against the idea of getting a vaccination, but she is one of those people who would see things on WhatsApp quite a lot and would be ‘oh this was happening’” |
5 (38.5) | 4 (80.0) | |