Trust and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the Dominican Republic

Abstract:

This thesis examines vaccine hesitancy in the Dominican Republic and the role of trust in shaping attitudes toward vaccination. It combines a national survey, qualitative interviews, and a social media analysis in a mixed-methods research design. Using survey data, I find that trust in government and health officials are significant predictors of vaccine acceptance, while trust in religion and social media are significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Using qualitative data from interviews and social media, I explore the mechanism relating trust and vaccine hesitancy and find that trust affects how people receive information about the COVID-19 vaccine, which in turn shapes any specific concerns they have about vaccination.