'Vaccine Passports’ may backfire: findings from a cross-sectional study in the UK and Israel on willingness to vaccinate against Covid-19
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Domestic “vaccine passports” are being implemented across the world, as a way of
increasing vaccinated people’s freedom of movement and to encourage vaccination. However, these
vaccine passports may affect people’s vaccination decisions in unintended and undesirable ways.
This cross-sectional study investigated whether people’s willingness and motivation to get
vaccinated relate to their psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), and how
vaccine passports might affect these needs. Across two countries and 1358 participants we found
that need frustration – particularly autonomy frustration – was associated with lower willingness
to vaccinate and with a shift from self-determined to external motivation. In Israel (a country with
vaccine passports), people reported greater autonomy frustration than in the UK (a country without
vaccine passports). Our findings suggest that control measures, such as domestic vaccine passports
may have detrimental effects on people’s autonomy, motivation, and willingness to get vaccinated.
Policies should strive to achieve a highly vaccinated population by supporting individuals’
autonomous motivation to be vaccinated and using messages of autonomy and relatedness, rather
than applying pressure and external controls.
increasing vaccinated people’s freedom of movement and to encourage vaccination. However, these
vaccine passports may affect people’s vaccination decisions in unintended and undesirable ways.
This cross-sectional study investigated whether people’s willingness and motivation to get
vaccinated relate to their psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), and how
vaccine passports might affect these needs. Across two countries and 1358 participants we found
that need frustration – particularly autonomy frustration – was associated with lower willingness
to vaccinate and with a shift from self-determined to external motivation. In Israel (a country with
vaccine passports), people reported greater autonomy frustration than in the UK (a country without
vaccine passports). Our findings suggest that control measures, such as domestic vaccine passports
may have detrimental effects on people’s autonomy, motivation, and willingness to get vaccinated.
Policies should strive to achieve a highly vaccinated population by supporting individuals’
autonomous motivation to be vaccinated and using messages of autonomy and relatedness, rather
than applying pressure and external controls.
Date Issued
2021-08-14
Date Acceptance
2021-08-12
Citation
Vaccines, 2021, 9 (8), pp.1-11
ISSN
2076-393X
Publisher
MDPI AG
Start Page
1
End Page
11
Journal / Book Title
Vaccines
Volume
9
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2021 by the authors.
Submitted for possible open access
publication under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Submitted for possible open access
publication under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URL
Identifier
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/8/902
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Immunology
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Research & Experimental Medicine
COVID-19
public health
self-determination theory
vaccine passports
vaccination
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY
REASONS
COVID-19
public health
self-determination theory
vaccination
vaccine passports
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-08-14