scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: We Need to Start Now

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krutika Kuppalli ◽  
David M Brett-Major ◽  
Tara C Smith
Keyword(s):  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Approval Process ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Present Information ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
Potential Vaccine ◽  
Health Experts

Abstract In this perspective, we discuss the importance of developing a vaccine to help curb transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The question remains: once a safe and effective vaccine is developed, will the public be willing to get it? We present information from one of the first tracking polls to assess public attitudes and perceptions towards a possible Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine that suggests public hesitancy over a potential vaccine, concern regarding accelerating clinical trials, and unease over the vaccine approval process. Public health experts, government officials, advocates, and others in the scientific community should respect the signals of hesitancy and communicate sensitivity, applying lessons not only to how we message, but also in how we build this urgently needed vaccine if we are to have successful uptake once available.

scholarly journals With Great Hopes Come Great Expectations: Access and Adoption Issues Associated With COVID-19 Vaccines (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohui Su ◽  
Dean McDonnell ◽  
Ali Cheshmehzangi ◽  
Xiaoshan Li ◽  
Daniel Maestro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Great Expectations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Health Experts

UNSTRUCTURED Although COVID-19 vaccines are becoming increasingly available, their ability to effectively control and contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly contingent on an array of factors. This paper discusses how limitations to vaccine accessibility, issues associated with vaccine side effects, concerns regarding vaccine efficacy, along with the persistent prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among the public, including health care professionals, might impact the potential of COVID-19 vaccines to curb the pandemic. We draw insights from the literature to identify practical solutions that could boost people’s adoption of COVID-19 vaccines and their accessibility. We conclude with a discussion on health experts’ and government officials’ moral and ethical responsibilities to the public, even in light of the urgency to adopt and endorse “the greatest amount of good for the greatest number” utilitarian philosophy in controlling and managing the spread of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Fearing the Disease or the Vaccine: The Case of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda C. Karlsson ◽  
Anna Soveri ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky ◽  
Linnea Karlsson ◽  
Hasse Karlsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Disease Risks ◽  
Potential Vaccine

Objective: As COVID-19 continues to spread, researchers are working to develop a safe and effective vaccine. The success of an approved vaccine in stopping or slowing the pandemic will ultimately depend on the public’s acceptance of it. As studies indicate that people perceive COVID-19 as a threatening disease, the demand for a vaccine could be expected to be high. However, vaccine safety concerns might still outweigh the perceived disease risks in a decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. In the present paper, the role of perceived risk of COVID-19 (i.e., perceived likelihood of infection, perceived disease severity, and disease-related worry) and trust in the safety of a prospective vaccine against COVID-19 in predicting intentions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine was investigated. Methods: Three Finnish samples were surveyed: 856 parents of small children, 205 individuals living in an area with suboptimal vaccination coverage, and 1,325 Facebook users nationwide. As points of reference, we compared the perceptions of COVID-19 to those of influenza and measles. Results: COVID-19 was perceived as a threatening disease—more so than influenza and measles. The strongest predictor of COVID-19 vaccination intentions was trusting the safety of the potential vaccine. Those perceiving COVID-19 as a severe disease were also slightly more intent on taking a COVID-19 vaccine.Conclusions: If a vaccine against COVID-19 is successfully developed, assuring the public that the vaccine is safe should be the focus for health authorities aiming to achieve a high vaccine uptake.

scholarly journals Mental Healthcare in Postwar Greece, c. 1950–1970

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Despo Kritsotaki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
Health Experts

While mental health experts and government officials all over Europe andNorth America were concerned about the increase in mental troubles and hospitalised patients after World War II, in Greece the mental health system entered a phase of development: between 1950 and 1970 traditional intramural institutions expanded, and alternative extramural services and prevention and aftercare programmes were introduced.This article analyses the sum of these mental healthcare strategies, at the central, local, public and private levels, highlighting the growing public and private demands for mental healthcare, the interplay between the public and private sector, and the inadequacy of these policies in meeting the needs of the population in quality services for the care and cure of the mentally ill.

Trust in the Police: Cross-country Comparisons

2012 ◽  
pp. 24-47
Author(s):  
V. Gimpelson ◽  
G. Monusova
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Police Activity

Using different cross-country data sets and simple econometric techniques we study public attitudes towards the police. More positive attitudes are more likely to emerge in the countries that have better functioning democratic institutions, less prone to corruption but enjoy more transparent and accountable police activity. This has a stronger impact on the public opinion (trust and attitudes) than objective crime rates or density of policemen. Citizens tend to trust more in those (policemen) with whom they share common values and can have some control over. The latter is a function of democracy. In authoritarian countries — “police states” — this tendency may not work directly. When we move from semi-authoritarian countries to openly authoritarian ones the trust in the police measured by surveys can also rise. As a result, the trust appears to be U-shaped along the quality of government axis. This phenomenon can be explained with two simple facts. First, publicly spread information concerning police activity in authoritarian countries is strongly controlled; second, the police itself is better controlled by authoritarian regimes which are afraid of dangerous (for them) erosion of this institution.

A Subtle but Intractable Problem? Public Attitudes to Sectarianism in 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Ormston ◽  
John Curtice ◽  
Stephen Hinchliffe ◽  
Anna Marcinkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Beliefs ◽  
Intractable Problem ◽  
Robust Evidence

Discussion of sectarianism often focuses on evidence purporting to show discriminatory behaviour directed at Catholics or Protestants in Scotland. But attitudes also matter – in sustaining (or preventing) such discriminatory behaviours, and in understanding the nature of the ‘problem of sectarianism’ from the perspective of the Scottish public. This paper uses data from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014. The survey fills a gap in the evidence base by providing robust evidence on what the public actually thinks about sectarianism in modern Scotland. It assesses public beliefs about the extent and nature of sectarianism and its perceived causes. Tensions in public opinion and differences in the attitudes of different sections of Scottish society are explored.

How to Tell the Truth without Outraging the Press?

MedienJournal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Li Xiguang
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
News Stories ◽  
The Press ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government ◽  
Chinese News Media

The commercialization of meclia in China has cultivated a new journalism business model characterized with scandalization, sensationalization, exaggeration, oversimplification, highly opinionated news stories, one-sidedly reporting, fabrication and hate reporting, which have clone more harm than good to the public affairs. Today the Chinese journalists are more prey to the manipu/ation of the emotions of the audiences than being a faithful messenger for the public. Une/er such a media environment, in case of news events, particularly, during crisis, it is not the media being scared by the government. but the media itself is scaring the government into silence. The Chinese news media have grown so negative and so cynica/ that it has produced growing popular clistrust of the government and the government officials. Entering a freer but fearful commercially mediated society, the Chinese government is totally tmprepared in engaging the Chinese press effectively and has lost its ability for setting public agenda and shaping public opinions. 

scholarly journals Attitudes and willingness toward out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a questionnaire study among the public trained online in China

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e038712
Author(s):  
Yi Jiang ◽  
Bangsheng Wu ◽  
Long Long ◽  
Jiaxing Li ◽  
Xiaoqing Jin
Keyword(s):  
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Online Training ◽  
First Aid ◽  
The Public ◽  
Close Family Member ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ◽  
Cpr Training

ObjectivesThe incidence of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is low in China. CPR training could improve public attitudes and willingness, but at present, the attitudes of the public after online training are unclear. This study investigated individual attitudes towards CPR, the willingness to perform it in emergencies along with the main obstacles and the overall effects of online training.DesignQuestionnaires were distributed to investigate the public attitudes and willingness towards performing bystander CPR.SettingQuestionnaires were accessible after the online course ‘First Aid’.Participants1888 students who attended ‘First Aid’ from December 2019 to 1 January 2020 and then completed the questionnaire voluntarily.ResultsThe majority understood CPR (96.7%) and displayed a willingness to learn (98.4%) and to disseminate CPR knowledge (82.0%). Characteristics associated with more positive attitudes included women, the 26–35-year olds and those in medical-related occupations (p<0.05). Only 34.8% had CPR training before. Most people would willingly perform CPR on a close family member. Compared with the standard CPR (S-CPR), the public preferred chest compression-only CPR (CO-CPR) (p<0.01). The top three obstacles to performing CO-CPR were lack of confidence (26.7%), fear of harming the victim (23.4%) and causing legal trouble (20.7%), while regarding S-CPR, fear of disease transmission (22.9%) ranked second. Women, those in poor health and in medical-related occupations, were more likely to perform CPR (p<0.05). The confidence to perform CPR was improved remarkably after online training (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe overwhelming majority of respondents showed positive attitudes and willingness towards CPR. In some cases, there is still reluctance, especially towards S-CPR. Obstacles arise mainly due to lack of confidence in administering CPR, while online CPR training can markedly improve it. Therefore, we should focus on disseminating CPR knowledge, targeting those who are less willing to perform CPR and helping overcome their obstacles by online training.

Cross-National Focus Group Response to Autonomous Vehicles

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812199236
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Norton ◽  
Melissa Ruhl ◽  
Tim Armitage ◽  
Brian Matthews ◽  
John Miles
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Public Investment ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Total N ◽  
The Public ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Willingness To Use

The development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is advancing quickly in some enclaves around the world. Consequently, AVs exist in the public consciousness, featuring regularly in mainstream media. As the form and function of AVs emerge, the attitudes of potential users become more important. The extent to which the public trusts AV technology and anticipates benefits, will drive consumer willingness to use AVs. Broadly, public attitudes will determine whether AVs can attract public investment in infrastructure and become a feature of the future transport mix or fail to realize the potential their developers assert. As part of UK Autodrive, a program trialing the introduction of AVs in the United Kingdom, researchers conducted focus groups in five UK cities, and a comparison focus group in San Francisco (December 2017 to September 2018) using representative samples (total n = 137). Focus group facilitators guided discussions in three areas considered central to usage decisions: trust in the technology, ownership models, and community benefit. This paper describes findings from a quasi-quantitative study supported with qualitative insights. This research provides three key takeaways centering on trust in the technology and in delivering benefit. First, some participants gain trust through experience and others through evidence. Second, participants had difficulty discriminating between AV developers, indicating a need for industry cooperation. Third, partnerships were found to demonstrate trust, highlighting the need for more and deeper partnerships moving forward. Generally, participants had positive attitudes toward AVs and expect AVs to provide benefits. However, these attitudes and expectations could change as AV development progresses.

scholarly journals Chinese views on nuclear weapons: Evidence from an online survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 205316802110328
Author(s):  
Naomi Egel ◽  
R. Lincoln Hines
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
The Public ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Public Views ◽  
Chinese Public

What are Chinese public attitudes regarding nuclear weapons? Although scholars have studied Chinese elites’ views on nuclear weapons, surprisingly little is known about the views of China’s public. To understand Chinese public views on nuclear weapons, we conduct an online survey ( N = 1066) of Chinese respondents. This is, to our knowledge, the first survey of Chinese public attitudes towards nuclear weapons. We find that although Chinese citizens view the possession of nuclear weapons as important for their country’s security, they strongly oppose the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. We also provide respondents an opportunity to describe their views on nuclear weapons in their own words. Using computer-assisted text analysis, we assess patterns in these open-ended responses and compare across age groups. We find that younger respondents emphasize non-material factors such as having a greater voice internationally, whereas older respondents emphasize self-defense. Overall, this analysis sheds light on the public attitudes that may shape China’s evolving approach to nuclear weapons.

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