Correlates of support for international vaccine solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey evidence from Germany

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 6; p. e0287257
• Main Authors: Stoeckel, Florian, Thompson, Jack, Szewach, Paula, Stöckli, Sabrina, Barnfield, Matthew, Phillips, Joseph B, Lyons, Benjamin, Mérola, Vittorio, Reifler, Jason
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23.06.2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Attitudes; Biology and Life Sciences; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Cross-Sectional Studies; Developed countries; Earth Sciences; Empathy; Empirical analysis; Epidemics; Foreign aid; Germany; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Hypotheses; Immunization; Income; Inequality; International; International aspects; Medical supplies; Medicine and Health Sciences; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; People and places; Personal income; Personality traits; Preferences; Self interest; Social Sciences; Surveys; Vaccination; Vaccines; Voters; Germany
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287257

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents of high-income countries (HICs) were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine boosters, while many residents of lower-income countries (LICs) had not yet received a first dose. HICs made some efforts to contribute to COVID-19 vaccination efforts in LICs, but these efforts were limited in scale. A new literature discusses the normative importance of an international redistribution of vaccines. Our analysis contributes an empirical perspective on the willingness of citizens in a HIC to contribute to such efforts (which we term international vaccine solidarity). We analyse the levels and predictors of international vaccine solidarity. We surveyed a representative sample of German adults (n = 2019) who participated in a two-wave YouGov online survey (w1: Sep 13-21, 2021 and w2: Oct 4-13, 2021). International vaccine solidarity is measured by asking respondents preferences for sharing vaccine supplies internationally versus using that supply as boosters for the domestic population. We examine a set of pre-registered hypotheses. Almost half of the respondents in our sample (48%) prioritize giving doses to citizens in less developed countries. A third of respondents (33%) prefer to use available doses as boosters domestically, and a fifth of respondents (19%) did not report a preference. In line with our hypotheses, respondents higher in cosmopolitanism and empathy, and those who support domestic redistribution exhibit more support for international dose-sharing. Older respondents (who might be more at risk) do not consistently show less support for vaccine solidarity. These results help us to get a better understanding of the way citizens' form preferences about a mechanism that redistributes medical supplies internationally during a global crisis.