# Experiences of discrimination and their impact on healthcare utilization: non-uptake of covid-19 vaccination

## TL;DR

The study finds that past experiences of discrimination, especially in healthcare and public services, are linked to not getting the COVID-19 vaccine in France.

## Contribution

The study reveals that discrimination in healthcare and public services, not just racial discrimination, influences vaccine non-uptake across diverse groups.

## Key findings

- Discrimination in healthcare and public services had a stronger effect on vaccine non-uptake than in employment or housing.
- Frequent experiences of discrimination were positively associated with not getting vaccinated.
- These associations were observed across all social groups, not only racialized minorities.

## Abstract

This article examines the relationship between experiences of discrimination and COVID-19 vaccine non-uptake, with particular attention to the domains in which discrimination occurs (healthcare, employment, housing, and public services) and to the frequency of such experiences.

The analysis draws on the most recent wave of the Epidemiology and Living Conditions (EpiCov) cohort survey, conducted in October 2022, which included 65,403 adults living in metropolitan France.

Although the vast majority of the population in France ultimately received the COVID-19 vaccine, a significant minority remained reluctant to take advantage of this free and widely accessible intervention. Our findings indicate that past experiences of discrimination exerted both specific and cumulative effects on vaccination behavior: discrimination encountered in interactions with healthcare professionals and public services had a stronger influence on non-vaccination than discrimination related to employment or housing. Moreover, the frequency of discriminatory experiences was positively associated with vaccine non-uptake. Importantly, these associations were not limited to racialized minorities.

By adopting a broad perspective on discrimination, the study demonstrates that feelings of social exclusion contribute to vaccine non-uptake across all social groups.