VACCINE HESITANCY IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION: UNDERSTANDING THE PARADOX AMONG THE HIGHLY EDUCATED
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17456022Keywords:
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, Educated Ghanaians, Health Belief Model, Vaccine behavior change, Vaccine access barriersAbstract
Objective: Diagnose drivers of disproportionate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among educated Ghanaians integrating theoretical frameworks and health systems perspectives.
Method: Expanded analysis blending Health Belief, Transtheoretical, Planned Behavior models and Structure-Process-Outcome constructs with scholarly literature, case studies and Public Health Act scrutiny.
Results: Multifaceted attitudinal, normative, informational, digital, procedural and policy barriers worsen tertiary-level reluctance trends. Risk/benefit miscalculations coupled with safety misconceptions persist amid unchecked social media falsehoods. Access hurdles, political sensitivities around enforcement and lacking messaging relevance further sustain hesitancy.
Conclusions: Overcoming complexity necessitates coordinated communication, convenience/access, regulation and mandate interventions tailored to educate groups’ mindsets and trusted information channels.
Recommendations: Context-specific policy reforms addressing risk perceptions, social media governance, registration/delivery pathways and Public Health Act applicability can promote vaccination intentions and behaviors among qualified Ghanaians.
Contributions: Granular framework integrating behavioral models with digitization, procedural and policy perspectives to inform tailored reluctance interventions for educated sub-populations.
Significance: Advancing vaccine equity and epidemic preparedness in Ghana via evidence-based promotion strategies targeting influential hesitant demographic.
