Democracy, Trust, and Political Orientation: Disentangling Mechanisms Shaping Individuals’ Vaccine Attitudes

Context: In recent decades, many countries experienced a reduction in the quality and functioning of democratic institutions and norms, accompanied by rising social distrust and opposing political views. The decline in vaccine confidence might be linked to these trends. This study explores the political factors influencing individual attitudes towards vaccination across 22 upper-middle-income and high-income countries, examining the interaction between political orientation, trust in public health authorities, and levels of democracy. Methods: Using the VaxPref database, encompassing demographically representative data from 50,242 respondents collected between July 2022 and June 2023, our analysis operates on three levels: pooled sample, democracy groups, and country-specific analyses. Results: We found that higher democracy scores generally correlated with lower levels of vaccine scepticism. People at the centre and on the right of the political spectrum expressed more scepticism towards vaccines overall. However, trust in public health authorities emerged as the determinant which explains the largest variation in vaccine attitudes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a greater effectiveness of democratic systems in fostering vaccine confidence, and the need to depoliticise vaccination efforts. Building and maintaining trust in scientific information and technical expertise is critical. Blunt measures like vaccination mandates may not sustain long-term confidence, particularly in democratic contexts. Effective interventions should prioritise comprehensive school-based education to promote preventive health behaviours, coupled with trust-enhancing targeted communication strategies