COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY IN INDIVIDUALISTIC AND COLLECTIVISTIC CULTURES
Keywords:
vaccine hesitancy, individualism, collectivism, COVID-19Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy is a worldwide phenomenon rooted in cultural beliefs and perceptions of health and
sickness. The paper presents an exploratory analysis of available scientific research that investigates COVID-19
vaccine hesitancy in global cultures. The cultural aspects are based on Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions,
which incorporates individualism and collectivism. We believe that cultures in these dimensions would show a
proclivity to reject or accept vaccinations and their influence on the human body. The paper also discusses the basic
notions of vaccine trust and vaccine hesitancy and the role of vaccination policies and public health strategies to
fight the disease. The text also discusses different interpretations of vaccine hesitancy, such as a lack of collective
empathy.
The present research employs three hypotheses. First, populations in individualistic cultures around the world are
more likely to choose vaccinations as a form of protection (high interpersonal empathy outside of the family unit,
high degree of public responsibility and awareness). Second, populations in collectivistic cultures are more likely to
reject vaccinations as a form of protection (low degree of interpersonal empathy outside of the family unit, low
degree of public responsibility and awareness). Third, populations in both groups of cultures make their vaccination
choices based on consuming messages from strategic communications used to popularize COVID-19 vaccinations.
Research methods include the descriptive and deductive analysis of hypotheses. A secondary deductive analysis is
provided to classify vaccine hesitancy as an individualistic or collectivistic trait.
Hypotheses are based on the premise that there is a cultural difference in the degree of public responsibility and
awareness and in interpersonal empathy outside of the family unit. This is based on some authors’ consideration of
intrinsic motivation as a result of affiliation with an individualistic or collectivistic group.
The paper attempts to understand the link between individualism and collectivism as cultural value orientations and
vaccine confidence. We conclude that Western cultures have cultural aspects that are similar to individualism,
whereas Eastern cultures are more similar to collectivism. However, we cannot find a direct connection between
individualism and collectivism as cultural dimensions and the personal choice to vaccinate against COVID-19
because the available data does not support that. The authors believe that the socio-cultural, political, and economic
environments have a stronger influence on people’s proclivity to vaccinate. Media messages remain key to
addressing vaccine hesitancy according to cultural norms and perceptions.
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