COVID-19 Vaccination Confidence, Access and Roll out: Global Lessons from the Field using Behavioural Science

The spread of COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for governments around the world. Although widespread recovery efforts are underway as countries secure access to and distribute vaccines, a new set of challenges have arisen, particularly for policymakers who need support in designing and iterating distribution and communication strategies - critical in influencing vaccine uptake and reaching the rates required for sufficient immunity. Behavioural science has significant potential to address key challenges associated with the demand and supply of COVID-19 vaccines as well as post-vaccination behaviours. By focusing on the (social, psychological, environmental and economic) factors that affect what people think and do, behavioural science can assist policymakers with the rollout of vaccines from designing effective communication campaigns and guiding on accessibility of vaccination centres to addressing issues of prioritization due to limited or uneven supply and potential challenges related to vaccine confidence.