This paper investigates the effect of interpersonal and institutional trust on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in New Zealand (NZ). It explores how trust, both in other people and in public institutions, shapes vaccine decisions. It draws on a large NZ dataset to link people’s reported trust in seven areas – Parliament, police, health, education, courts, media and the general public – to their later COVID-19 vaccination behaviour.

The findings clearly show that higher trust correlates with lower vaccine hesitancy. People who trust more – especially in the police and in others – tend to get vaccinated faster and are less likely to refuse a vaccine. The link is weaker for trust in media but remains significant across all domains.

By understanding how trust affects vaccine choices, it will be possible to build stronger, more effective public health campaigns and respond better to future pandemics.