Unravelling COVID-19 vaccination attributes worldwide: an extensive review regarding uptake, hesitancy, and future implication

Abstract

Since the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, all efforts were directed towards limiting the transfer of the disease and preventing severe disease forms from occurring. In this regard, numerous vaccines were quickly developed to limit the associated morbidity and mortality of the disease and to reduce the burden on healthcare systems worldwide. However, to date, vaccine hesitancy remains a major limitation to vaccine distribution, with varying degrees in different countries. Therefore, the authors conducted this literature review to highlight the magnitude of this issue throughout the globe and summarize some of its major causes (i.e. governmental, healthcare system-related, population-related, and vaccine-related) and contributing factors (i.e. knowledge/awareness, social media, etc.). In addition, the authors highlighted some of the main motivating factors that can minimize the burden of vaccine hesitancy at the population, governmental, and worldwide levels. These include structural (i.e. government, country), extrinsic (i.e. family, friends), intrinsic (i.e. self-perception), and other factors (financial and nonfinancial). Finally, the authors proposed some implications for future research to ease the vaccination process and hopefully, put an end to this problem.