Behavioural Considerations for Acceptance and Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccines: WHO Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Insights and Sciences for Health
This is a report from a meeting held in October 2020 to discuss behavioral considerations relating to vaccine acceptance and uptake.
The discussion focused on a series of key questions around achieving high and equitable uptake of vaccines through evidence-based and behaviourally informed strategies. This meeting report is the product of the discussion held by WHO TAG members during the meeting. It covers only the topics that were addressed at the meeting.
The study introduces the topic by stating that behavioral research identifies three categories of drivers of vaccine uptake, in addition to people having the necessary knowledge:
1) an enabling environment
2) social influences
3) motivation
The three drivers interact and overlap, depending on contexts; however, for the purpose of understanding the problem and identifying strategies, it is helpful to keep the categories separate. An appreciation of each driver leads to its own set of insights and interventions, or mix of interventions, which will often vary across communities.

- Vaccine Hesitancy and COVID-19: Considerations for Communication
- Vaccine Hesitancy in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Potential Implications for the COVID-19 Response
- COVID-19: Can Behavior Insights Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Increase Take-up?
- Framework for Decision-making: Implementation of Mass Vaccination Campaigns in the Context of COVID-19
- Interpersonal Communication for Immunization (IPC-I)
- The Best Evidence for How to Overcome COVID Vaccine Fears
- Demand Creation and Advocacy for COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake
- Communicating about COVID-19 Vaccines: A Technical Brief
- COVID-19 Vaccination Communication
- Guidance on Developing a National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines
December 6, 2020