God and the Jab: Religion is Associated With COVID-19 Vaccinations Rates in England

Abstract

AbstractReligious areas were predicted to be negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using public data on religion and vaccination rates within local authorities in England, support for the hypothesis was found. All major religious groups within England (i.e., Christianity, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and “other” religious groups) were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. Effects were stronger for Muslim and Christian areas than areas with other religious groups. Effects were not due to wealth, household size, mobility, or age. These results suggest that religious regions in general and regions with Muslims and Christians in particular are negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. These findings can be used as a guide for future research and to help inform vaccination efforts. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data accessibility statementAll data are freely available through their original sources (see references).