Populism, moral foundations, and vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19

Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global health concern, with over 90% of countries reporting such hesitancy. In the United States, vaccine hesitancy has risen significantly, with over 79 million cases and 950,000 deaths in 2022. This highlights the political importance of vaccine hesitancy in the coming years. Moral foundations are associated with political alignments on the left-right axis, but they do not extend to beliefs about political contexts. Populism, a belief in the power of the people to take back power from the elite, is particularly important in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores possible associations of vaccine hesitancy with both moral foundations and populism using survey research. Results from multiple regression analysis show that while moral foundations are not entirely accounted for, populism can impact vaccine hesitancy outside of its overlap with moral foundations. The study reveals a significant association between vaccine hesitancy and populism and four moral foundations. It suggests that vaccine hesitancy is linked to populist sentiment and moral orientations and suggests that further research could explore the relationship between these factors. The study also suggests that the challenge of vaccine hesitancy is not solely about vaccines, but rather exacerbated skepticism and lack of trust in institutions and elite knowledge. The findings could help policymakers and practitioners understand the motivational factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, focusing on moral reasoning and sociopolitical narratives rather than swaying people with scientific elite knowledge. Emphasizing messages about vaccination as a form of loyalty to family, friends, and country could be more effective.