People on This Project
- Principal Investigator: Zahid Butt
- Lead: Bara’ AlShurman
- Collaborators: Amber Khan & Christina Mac
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
The evidence demonstrating the benefits of immunization is overwhelming. It is one of the most successful and cost-effective interventions that has saved countless lives and improved health and well-being around the globe. However, misinformation and rumours around vaccines have occurred around the world, spreading quickly and sometimes seriously eroding public confidence in immunization, ultimately leading to vaccine hesitancy and refusals as well as disease outbreaks.
Our research team focuses on addressing the critical issue of vaccine hesitancy -especially in the era of the COVID-19. We are working on a scoping review to determine the prevalence of intention to use the COVID-19 vaccine among adults and to identify the demographic, social, and contextual factors that influence the intention to use COVID-19 vaccines. This review can help policy makers to develop guidelines and policies to address vaccine hesitancy issues in the general population.
Our future plans include further research focusing on addressing the vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable groups such as refugees, immigrants and marginalized populations. Another upcoming topic of interest will be focusing on social media monitoring methods and interventions relating to vaccine hesitancy.