The role of religious leaders in the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccinations: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: The development of COVID-19 vaccines was progressing rapidly, but vaccination acceptance posed many challenges in different communities. This study systematically reviewed the impact of religious leaders on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccinations. It also examined religious leaders’ role in shaping their followers’ vaccination decisions and explored the strategies religious organizations use to promote vaccination against COVID-19. Method: The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The primary databases used to search the literature were PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. To identify relevant published literature, the title of this systematic review was divided into two key components: keywords related to COVID-19 vaccination and religious leaders, along with their synonyms. Results: This review analyzed seven articles using content analysis to explore the diverse roles of religious leaders in COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. The analysis identified two key themes: the positive contributions of religious leaders in promoting vaccination and their negative or neutral roles, highlighting differing perspectives on their influence during the pandemic. Conclusion: Engaging religious leaders in disseminating and adopting national and global health initiatives, such as capacity building, training, trust building, collaboration with health providers, and dialogue with the community about the COVID-19 vaccination program, is a powerful strategy to advance the World Health Organization (WHO) goals. © The Author(s) 2025.