Vaccine Hesitancy in Cyprus: Causes and Solutions to the Problem
Elhaija, A., Debbaneh, R., Yambao, D.
Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Published: April 12, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58417/JGXZ7156
Abstract: Given the threat that the COVID-19 pandemic posed on the global stage, efforts have continued to promote herd immunity, while addressing barriers that hinder this goal. Previous research has identified vaccine hesitancy as a significant barrier to achieving herd immunity and has investigated the underlying factors driving this phenomenon. While trends have been studied in a variety of countries, investigations into the Cypriot population are only relatively recent. A study conducted in 2021 adapted a vaccine acceptance measure to determine internal consistency and evaluated its relationship with participants’ vaccine attitudes, immunization histories, and demographic information (1). Younger and less-educated individuals were noted to be the most hesitant, with mistrust in authorities cited as an influence on these beliefs. In the country of Cyprus, younger demographics with lower levels of education often have reduced health literacy, fostering mistrust in health authorities and vaccination advocacy (2). Multiple studies demonstrated an increase in vaccine acceptance with older age. Another study surveyed midwives and nurses on their vaccination knowledge and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The results showed a positive association between advanced knowledge and intentions to immunize, further emphasizing the role of health literacy in vaccine acceptance (3). The findings revealed that the largest influences shaping vaccine hesitancy were misinformation, poor accessibility to scientific health information, and public distrust in the government. These influences are exacerbated by social media’s role in spreading misinformation surrounding health and vaccination effectiveness among the general public (4). Public health trends in Cyprus demonstrate that media platforms not only circulate false results of vaccination but also reinforce preexisting skepticism targeting mistrust in health authorities. This rapid circulation of misleading content among younger populations has both weakened the youth’s confidence in scientific community authorities and general public health interventions (5). Ultimately, the findings from this research affirm that vaccine hesitancy can be mostly attributed to deficient scientific literacy and younger demographics, with both factors reinforcing trends of mistrust towards vaccination efforts and authorities (2). Improving health literacy from an early age may contribute in providing a long-term solution, mitigating influences of widespread misinformation and ultimately increasing preventative healthcare utilization among general populations (6). Effective strategies which have been found to address these concerns include making trusted scientific literature more accessible to the public, training physicians to address patient concerns about the vaccine, and sharing personal narratives on positive experiences taking the vaccine (7). Expanding the implementation of these strategies may prove to be an effective approach to significantly increasing vaccination rates in Cyprus. This could also provide insight as for what legislators should consider when developing policies for not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but future public health crises.
Amended: September 2025
Works Cited
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