The correlates and intensity of COVID-19 vaccine brand preferences in Canada
Most work on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has focused on its attitudinal and demographic correlates of individuals, but the characteristics of vaccines themselves also appear to be important. People are more willing to take vaccines with higher reported levels of efficacy and safety. Has this dynamic sparked hesitancy towards specific vaccines? We conduct a series of cross-sectional survey experiments to test for brand-based differences in vaccination intention, perceived efficacy, and perceived safety. Examining more than 6,500 individuals in a series of cross-sectional surveys, we find that respondents report less willingness to take AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines compared to those from Pfizer and Moderna, despite all vaccines being approved as safe by a federal regulator. Further, these brand preferences are meaningful: respondents report willingness to wait months for their preferred vaccine over AstraZeneca. We show that these brand effects are strongest among people who are usually most open to mass vaccination efforts. Our findings call for additional research on the determinants and consequences of COVID-19 vaccine-specific hesitancy and communication strategies to minimize this challenge.