Unwillingness or reluctance of Palestinians to get the COVID-19 vaccine: the reasons behind it and how to persuade them

Abstract

Objectives: A brief discussion with policy leaders and citizens was conducted to understand the unwillingness of people to get the COVID-19 vaccine and their suggestions to increase the vaccination level.

Background: Despite the crucial benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine, people are unwilling to get vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy is a significant problem globally. In Palestine, at the time of this study only about 30% of the population were vaccinated.

Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative design with semistructured interviews.

Discussion: The unwillingness of Palestinian people to get the COVID-19 vaccine was attributed to the spread of false rumours, misinformation, and conspiracy theories they received about the vaccine on the social media and mistrust towards vaccines the government purchased. There is a dire need to develop motivational strategies (i.e., incentives) and reconsider the media discourse and its unification to encourage people to get the vaccines. Social media and professionals should report the benefits/effectiveness of vaccination and avoid exaggerating its' side-effects.

Keywords: COVID-19; Palestine; Unwillingness.