Socio-Economic and Behavioural Impacts of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates: A Scoping Review
1
The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
This scoping review explored the socio-economic and behavioural impacts, effectiveness, and challenges associated with COVID-19 vaccine mandates, providing a broad overview to inform future policy decisions.
METHODS:
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, supplemented by Google Scholar. The search strategy focused on identifying studies published between 2020 and 2024 that examined the attitudes towards vaccine mandates, factors shaping it, and impacts with consequences. Further, the SPIDER framework was used to inform the search strategies, focusing on adults aged 16 and above with no exclusion based on the study design.
RESULTS:
955 records were retrieved, with 31 studies included in the final review. The studies span various countries and population groups, employing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. The findings indicate that the vaccine mandates effectively increase vaccine uptake and reduce COVID-19 cases. However, studies highlight significant challenges, including public resistance, ethical concerns, and operational difficulties. The mandates fostered social cohesion and collective responsibility, sometimes worsening distrust in government and scientific institutions among certain groups. Economically, mandates reduce the burden on healthcare systems and support business continuity, though they can lead to workforce shortages and operational disruptions. Behaviourally, mandates create a sense of urgency, increasing vaccine uptake but also lead to resistance among individuals with low trust in vaccines or health authorities. Public attitudes varied by demographic factors with higher support among older adults and individuals with greater socio-economic status.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mandates have been instrumental in increasing vaccine uptake and controlling virus transmission. However, trust deficits, misinformation, and equity issues remain critical barriers to widespread acceptance. Future research should focus on longitudinal data and diverse populations to better understand the long-term impacts of vaccine mandates and inform more effective public health policies.
This scoping review explored the socio-economic and behavioural impacts, effectiveness, and challenges associated with COVID-19 vaccine mandates, providing a broad overview to inform future policy decisions.
METHODS:
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, supplemented by Google Scholar. The search strategy focused on identifying studies published between 2020 and 2024 that examined the attitudes towards vaccine mandates, factors shaping it, and impacts with consequences. Further, the SPIDER framework was used to inform the search strategies, focusing on adults aged 16 and above with no exclusion based on the study design.
RESULTS:
955 records were retrieved, with 31 studies included in the final review. The studies span various countries and population groups, employing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. The findings indicate that the vaccine mandates effectively increase vaccine uptake and reduce COVID-19 cases. However, studies highlight significant challenges, including public resistance, ethical concerns, and operational difficulties. The mandates fostered social cohesion and collective responsibility, sometimes worsening distrust in government and scientific institutions among certain groups. Economically, mandates reduce the burden on healthcare systems and support business continuity, though they can lead to workforce shortages and operational disruptions. Behaviourally, mandates create a sense of urgency, increasing vaccine uptake but also lead to resistance among individuals with low trust in vaccines or health authorities. Public attitudes varied by demographic factors with higher support among older adults and individuals with greater socio-economic status.
CONCLUSIONS:
Mandates have been instrumental in increasing vaccine uptake and controlling virus transmission. However, trust deficits, misinformation, and equity issues remain critical barriers to widespread acceptance. Future research should focus on longitudinal data and diverse populations to better understand the long-term impacts of vaccine mandates and inform more effective public health policies.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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