Of Vaccine and Hesitancy

ABSTRACT

Vaccinated individuals-like Tolstoy's happy families-are all alike;each unvaccinated individual is hesitant for her own reason. Irrational and unreasonable conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and its vaccine abound among the anti-vaxxers. Contrary to popular belief, however, conspiracy theories are not the main driver of vaccine hesitancy. Whether an individual remains hesitant about receiving a COVID19 vaccine may depend on personal beliefs, informed by a background that is a totality of, for example, race (and its historical past), gender, education, life experience, and information consumption. This individualized background then forms a value system that informs the personal decision-making process as to whether to receive a COVID19 vaccine.