High but slightly declining COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and reasons for vaccine acceptance, Finland April to December 2020

We investigated likelihood to vaccinate and reasons for and against accepting a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine among adult residents of Finland. Vaccine acceptance declined from 70% in April to 64% in December 2020. Complacency and worry about side effects were main reasons against vaccination while concern about severe disease was a strong motive for vaccination. Convenience of vaccination and recommendations by healthcare workers were identified as enablers for vaccination among those aged under 50 years. Understanding barriers and enablers behind vaccine acceptance is decisive in ensuring a successful implementation of COVID-19 vaccination programmes, which will be key to ending the pandemic.

Automated summary

The study found that while vaccine acceptance among adult residents of Finland declined, motivation for vaccination remained closely tied to concerns about the severity of the disease. Additionally, convenience of vaccination and recommendations by healthcare workers were identified as enablers for vaccine acceptance, especially among those aged under 50.