REASONS OF THE UNREASONABLE: COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY AMONG ADULTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Caplan (2013) asserts that vaccine hesitancy is driven by irrationality. This view is reflected in dominant discourses worldwide, where individuals who are COVID-19 vaccine hesitant are heavily criticised for either delaying or refusing the vaccine. While there have been attempts to explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, there remains gaps in extant sociological literature. My thesis seeks to understand why COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among a subset of the population residing in Singapore – adults aged twenty-one and above – exists, through ten in-depth interviews with individuals who are vaccine hesitant, as well as three doctors and medical students. The two components of my thesis are: the podcast, which presents the research findings (clicking on this link brings you to a folder which contains the podcast and its transcript, and an accompanying GIF and instructions on how to view the GIF), and this written report, which undergirds the theoretical inquiry on the research. Employing Beck (1998) and Foucault (1976)’s respective concepts of risk society and biopolitics, my research has found that the motivations behind COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy can be rationalised. It can be explained by the perception of poor public health communication, the skepticism towards vaccine efficacy and safety, and the lack of trust in health and medical authorities. I argue that understanding the factors behind COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy would help inform public health officials as well as members of the public in recognising the complexities behind this issue, in the hope that the climate towards vaccine hesitancy and vaccination programmes would be ameliorated.