COVID-19 vaccines and anti-consumption: Understanding anti-vaxxers hesitancy

Abstract

Anti-vaccination sentiment and vaccine hesitancy are on the rise. This is unfortunate given the world's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response plan relies on a global vaccination program the likes of which has never been attempted. Using an anti-consumption lens, this study utilizes a qualitative approach and 53 interviews revolving around people's attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination plan. The findings reveal that COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy comes from two major factors: stable factors and contextual factors. Stable factors refer to factors that are consistently found in anti-vaccination movements and include political and philosophical opposition. Contextual factors refer to factors that are highly dependent on the COVID-19 situation and relates to a negative benefit to risk ratio informed by information overload and the influence of marketing phenomena such as branding and country of origin effects. Finally, theoretical and managerial contributions are offered for public policymakers and social marketers.