Date of Award
4-6-2025
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Dr. Humberto Barreto
Second Advisor
Dr. Todd Foster
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy is a term that has entered the spotlight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With concerns about efficacy, safety, and individual choice, many people have developed a hesitancy toward receiving any vaccine, creating concerns for public and global health. Through responses from local and state health departments about their actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and through analysis of state vaccine rates based on political affiliation, this study suggests that vaccine hesitancy is a current issue that is likely politically motivated. States that are Republican affiliated have lower rates of vaccine uptake, and in turn they have higher rates of mortality due to COVID-19 in 2021. Despite its increase, there are actions governments can take to reduce vaccine hesitancy across the United States.
Recommended Citation
McCarty, Alexander (Alec) '25, "No Vaccine? Why Not: Causes of Vaccine Hesitancy and How Governments Can Stop It" (2025). Honor Scholar Theses. 307, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/studentresearch/307