Utilitarian psychology and influenza vaccine acceptance in the United Arab Emirates: implications for moral education and public policy

Seasonal influenza is still a challenge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There is consensus that the most effective way to address this problem is through yearly vaccination campaigns. Despite governmental efforts to make the influenza vaccine available, there remains some hesitancy among the population. Previous research has focused on the conspiratorial and disinformation aspects of vaccine hesitancy. In this article, we posit that, apart from those factors, moral psychology considerations also play a role in determining whether people accept the influenza vaccine. University students in the UAE were assessed in their knowledge of how vaccines work. They were also assessed in their level of adherence to utilitarian moral psychology. Results came out showing that while vaccine knowledge plays a role in the decision to receive the seasonal influenza shot, impartial beneficence (as a dimension of utilitarian psychology) plays a greater role. This has implications for moral education, communication and public policy in the UAE, as an introduction to utilitarian principles may serve the purpose of curbing vaccine hesitancy in the nation.