Pro-Vax, Anti-Vax, or Shades of Gray? Segmenting Consumers Based on Attitudes to Vaccination.

Abstract

Vaccination hesitancy remains a prominent global health concern, as recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). This quantitative study, conducted on a representative sample of the Belgian population (n = 1,030), explores consumer segmentation concerning vaccination attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, identifying five distinct clusters. While 39.6% of the surveyed consumers broadly accepted the COVID-19 vaccine (Convinced Pro-Vaxxers), our analysis revealed that 17.1% were skeptical (Skeptics), 12.7% were fearful of the inoculation procedure (Fearful Doubters), and 7.1% were fully opposed to vaccination (Anti-Vaxxers). Nearly one in four participants (Indifferent Pro-Vaxxers) showed little interest in the pandemic yet remained largely favorable toward vaccination. The variation in cluster size, attitudes, beliefs, and sociodemographic traits highlights the complexity of vaccine hesitancy, indicating it is not a binary issue. These findings underscore the importance of tailored health communication and vaccination campaigns to address hesitancy and improve vaccine uptake.