Trust Issues Cited as Major Factor in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, UK Inquiry Finds

A lack of trust in government significantly contributed to misinformation and low COVID-19 vaccine uptake across certain UK communities, according to the latest report from Britain’s COVID-19 inquiry published Thursday.

Baroness Hallett, who chairs the inquiry, warned that the government must “rebuild trust” in vaccines before another pandemic strikes, especially as vaccine misinformation continues to spread globally through social media platforms.

“To some extent, this lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccinations was a global issue, fuelled by the rapid sharing of false information online,” Hallett stated. “However, it is clear that a lack of trust and confidence in authority was also a significant contributing factor in the UK.”

While the inquiry concluded that Britain’s vaccine rollout was largely a “success story” that saved an estimated 475,000 lives in England and Scotland by March 2023, it identified critical issues that hampered full public participation, particularly among minority communities and those in deprived areas.

Some government decisions were found to have exacerbated the problem. The mandatory vaccine requirements for care home staff in England were described as “political and not led by clinical advice,” which in some cases “contributed to alienation and increased vaccine hesitancy” in certain groups.

The report emphasized that lower uptake in poorer communities and among some ethnic minority groups was predictable and could have been better planned for. Many people in these communities had concerns centered on vaccine safety and potential side effects, issues that weren’t adequately addressed through targeted outreach.

“Governments and health services must work with communities to rebuild trust and promote a better understanding of, and confidence in, vaccines,” Hallett urged. The report specifically called on all four UK nations to take action to build trust within communities with historically lower vaccine uptake.

Despite these challenges, the inquiry recognized the UK’s vaccination program as an “extraordinary feat.” Britain’s position as a world leader in biomedical sciences enabled it to develop and distribute vaccines quickly and effectively. The report confirmed that despite their rapid development, the vaccines did not compromise on rigorous UK safety standards, noting they were developed at “remarkable pace” because of decades of global research and preparation.

The inquiry also highlighted significant failings in supporting those who experienced adverse reactions to the vaccines. Baroness Hallett called for urgent reform of the vaccine injury payment scheme, recommending almost doubling the maximum payouts from £120,000 to at least £200,000. The current upper limit was last revised in 2007.

Other recommendations included eliminating the requirement that individuals be 60 percent disabled to receive payment, as this threshold “leaves those people with a significant injury that affects how they live, but does not meet the 60 percent threshold, with nothing.”

The report revealed a substantial backlog in the vaccine damage payment scheme. As of January 2025, only 9,545 of the 17,519 applications related to COVID vaccines had received decisions, leaving nearly 8,000 applicants waiting—over 1,000 for more than a year and 126 for more than two years.

Among the inquiry’s five formal recommendations were calls to reform the payment scheme, give regulatory bodies access to healthcare records for safety monitoring, establish a “pharmaceutical expert advisory panel” to position the UK for future vaccine development and procurement, and produce targeted vaccine strategies with better monitoring systems.

The government disclosed it has spent £111 million responding to the inquiry, covering legal advice and staffing costs. By the end of December, the inquiry itself had spent just under £204 million, which included setup costs, legal fees, and holding public hearings across all four UK nations.

As governments worldwide continue to address vaccine hesitancy, the findings underscore how crucial public trust is to the success of mass vaccination efforts during health emergencies.