Research on the human and social aspects of vaccination in France since Covid-19 – 1st Edition

Research into the human and social aspects of vaccination has developed spectacularly in France since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic. It has attracted researchers from a wide range of humanities and social sciences disciplines, as well as from medical disciplines interested in all aspects of vaccination.

The dynamism and richness of the work produced since 2020 in France provide an opportunity to make considerable progress in understanding the human and social aspects of vaccination. Conversely, the detailed, interdisciplinary analysis of the case of Covid-19 vaccination in France is also likely to lead to general theoretical advances in the humanities, social sciences and public health.

However, this abundance and diversity can paradoxically act as an obstacle to realising this potential. The profusion of studies and the silos of disciplinary publications can limit the circulation of results and analyses. The aim of this report is to open up this research and encourage the accumulation of knowledge by offering a survey and summary of the work carried out on vaccination in France since the beginning of 2020. The report, published in English and French, will be updated annually to include new publications and results.

The chapters are presented as a summary of available knowledge, a survey of published works and the identification of blind spots in research on each of the themes. In particular, we will show that most existing research has focused on public attitudes and behaviour. However, the human and social sciences can shed light on a wide range of aspects of vaccination, including organisational issues, public decision-making processes, inequalities in access, ethical issues, social mobilisation, public controversies, and even the way in which research is conducted and how expertise is organized.

The report is divided into five chapters. The first deals with the issue of vaccine recommendations and the expertise on which they are based. The second deals with the organisation of vaccination campaigns and vaccination policies. The third looks at research into vaccination attitudes and behaviour, while the fourth looks at healthcare professionals. Finally, the last chapter deals with communication, public mobilisation and media debates generated around vaccines.

The main target audience is researchers: researchers in the humanities, social sciences and medical sciences working on the issue of vaccination in France, specialists in vaccination in other countries interested in the French experience and, lastly, researchers wishing to compare their findings on another research subject with work on vaccination. But we also hope that this report will be of use to those working in public health and in healthcare more generally.