Perceived Norms and Vaccination against COVID-19 among the General Adult Population in Germany: Results of a Nationally Representative Survey

Objective: to examine whether perceived norms are associated with vaccination against COVID-19 (also stratified by age group). Study design: nationally representative survey. Methods: Data were taken from a sample of the general adult population ( n = 3829, 16 to 94 years). Data collection took place from early July to early August 2021, and 3 different groups (1: not yet vaccinated and no intention to vaccinate against COVID-19; 2: not yet, but intended to vaccinate against COVID-19; 3: yes, at least one vaccination against COVID-19) were distinguished in the analyses. Data were adjusted for several sociodemographic and health-related factors. Perceived norms served as key independent variables (1: number of important friends and relatives who would like me to get vaccinated; 2: number of important friends and relatives who already have been vaccinated or still want to do so; 3: how your general practitioner (GP) thinks about Corona vaccination). Results: Multiple logistic regression showed that, in particular, the number of important friends/relatives who would like an individual to get vaccinated is associated with the actual COVID-19 vaccination status among individuals aged 16 to 59 years. Interestingly, all 3 indicators for perceived norms are associated with the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination status among individuals aged 60 years and over. Conclusions: Our study adds to the understanding of the association between perceived norms and COVID-19 vaccination status. This highlights potential pathways to increase vaccination rates to further combat the later stages of the pandemic.