Panic in the Pandemic: Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy and the Dilemma of Public Health Information Sharing during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka

Vaccine hesitancy, a pressing global challenge in vaccination programs, was significantly amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proliferation of misinformation, including false claims and rumours, and the influence of anti-vaccine movements fuelled hesitancy. This study aims to explore the socio-economic determinants that influenced vaccine hesitancy and the impact of public health information sharing in Sri Lanka during the pandemic. The study employed a comprehensive mixed-method approach for data collection, administrating a household survey (n = 3330) and 206 semi-structured interviews. The survey results indicated that 37.8% ( n = 3113) of respondents delayed or rejected vaccines for various reasons, the leading cause being the fear of side effects of the vaccine. Although fear of side effects was the prime reason for rejection ( n = 1176, 46.29%), respondents demonstrated an extremely poor understanding of the potential side effects of vaccines, which was 55.39% ( n = 3113). Notably, 84.60% ( n = 3113) were unaware of the vaccine development process. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that middle-income people (AOR—0.42) and females (0.65) were less likely not to make decisions based on scientific information compared to underprivileged people and males. The survey also revealed that strong belief in the use of traditional medicines and remedies and religious beliefs ( n = 1176, 3.95%) were among the main reasons for hesitancy. The findings illustrate that misinformation, lack of health knowledge, and lack of understanding to seek scientific information have fuelled vaccine hesitancy in Sri Lanka.