Health experts were by far the most likely group of people to be able to reduce recipients’ vaccine hesitancy, according to phone survey respondents and participants in the control group in the online experiment (see Figure 8). Respondents that did not plan on being vaccinated or were unsure were asked “Would you be more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if any of the following individuals/authorities receive or recommend the vaccine?” in both surveys based on the same list of groups of people. In the phone survey where respondents could select all that applied, around half (48%) of respondents selected health workers. In the online experiment where respondents selected the main group most likely to change respondents’ minds, around two-thirds (66%) of respondents selected health workers. In addition, phone survey respondents were asked their most preferred way of receiving information about the vaccine and around four out of five (80.1%) respondents stated face-to-face communication from health workers (see Figure A5 in Appendix A). Collectively, these results provide evidence that advice from health experts about the COVID-19 vaccine is likely to positively influence people’s willingness to get vaccinated.

**Figure 8 – Top three groups in people who could change respondents’ minds about getting the vaccine**

<!-- Start of picture text --> a) Phone survey (late May/early June 2021) b) Online experiment (late June/July 2021)<br>.5 .8<br>0.49<br>.4 0.66<br>.6<br>.3<br>0.29<br>.4<br>.2<br>0.19<br>.2<br>.1 0.20<br>0.12<br>0 0<br>Family and Friends Religious leaders Health experts Family and Friends Religious leaders Health experts<br>Share of respondents that selected this answer Share of respondents that selected this answer<br><!-- End of picture text --> Note: These charts are based on answers to question 5 and 36 (control group only) in Appendix B.

# <u>5.2 Drivers of vaccine hesitancy according to the phone survey (based solely on the phone survey)</u>

This subsection presents findings from the phone survey regarding the factors that are most likely driving vaccine hesitancy in PNG. The five potential drivers of vaccine hesitancy, which are focused on one by one below, are discussed in the related literature section (Section 2). The findings show that people’s lack of trust in the COVID-19 vaccine and social norms are the most plausible sources of vaccine hesitancy.

# <u>5.2.1 Trust in the COVID-19 vaccine</u>

People’s willingness to get vaccinated was closely associated with their level of trust in the COVID-19 vaccine (see Figure A6 in Appendix A). Over 60 percent (62.4%) of respondents who planned on getting vaccinated stated they trusted the COVID-19 vaccine, whereas around two percent (2.1%) of people who did not plan on being vaccinated said they trusted the COVID-19 vaccine. Correspondingly, only five percent (5.1%) of respondents that planned on getting vaccinated stated they did not trust the COVID19 vaccine whereas almost three-quarters (73.7%) of respondents that did not plan on being vaccinated said they did not trust the COVID-19 vaccine. Regression analysis shows that after controlling for demographic characteristics (sex, age, location, education level and household wealth) respondents that 18