scholarly journals Video-based messages to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and nudge uptake

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Jensen ◽  
Stephanie Ayers ◽  
Alexis Koskan
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Vaccine Acceptability ◽  
The Real ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Highly Effective

Vaccines are highly effective for curbing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Yet, millions of Americans remain hesitant about getting vaccinated, jeopardizing the collective benefits from potential herd immunity and our ability to end the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that brief video-based messages of encouragement addressing specific COVID-19 vaccine concerns increase vaccination intentions. Intentions, in turn, predict future vaccine uptake in our data. Our experiment also reveals that increased confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and perceived behavioral control to get vaccinated are the key psychological drivers influencing willingness to get vaccinated. Importantly, our messages only increased vaccination intentions among people who identify as conservative or moderates, while liberals are unaffected due to high levels of pre-existing vaccine acceptability. Our findings corroborate the real-world behavioral significance of vaccination intentions, and devise how even short, scalable online messages can provide governments and health authorities an inexpensive, yet effective tool for increasing COVID-19 vaccinations among populations most reluctant to get them.

scholarly journals Introduction of HPV vaccination in Kenya

Afrika Focus ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heleen Vermandere
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Vaccine Acceptability ◽  
Hpv Vaccine Acceptability

HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. Measured HPV vaccine acceptability is often high but does it also lead to high uptake? Methodology: A cohort was set up assessing HPV vaccine acceptability and other health behav- iour constructs before, and vaccine uptake after an HPV vaccination programme in Eldoret, Kenya. Focus groups shed light on the motivation for vaccine uptake or refusal. Results: Acceptability was high but was no strong predictor of uptake, and neither were the constructs of the Health Belief Model. Lack of information and fear of side effects were major barriers. Feeling uncomfortable to discuss cervical cancer hampered open communication. Discussion: Distrust towards new vaccines and the health system blocked translation from willingness-to-vaccinate to actual uptake, as did organizational factors such as poor promotion. Conclusion: Future research should include broader concepts such as vaccine hesitancy and factors beyond personal control in order to predict vaccine uptake. Key words: HPV vaccination, acceptability, uptake, longitudinal study, Kenya 

scholarly journals Myths Surrounding Covid-19 Vaccine Candidates: A Guide to Fight Back

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Zizzo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Protective Measure ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Vaccine Candidates ◽  
The Public ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Public Health Officials

The Covid-19 pandemic has propelled public health officials into the socio-political sphere due to the need for constantly updated information on behalf of the public. However, many individuals choose to acquire health information/guidance from indirect sources, including social media, news organizations, and general word of mouth. As a result, myths and false narratives about various essential health topics, including vaccine characteristics and protective measures, can circulate un-verified between millions of individuals with little recourse. These can further widen the “gap” between public knowledge and current research, resulting in lower vaccine uptake (vaccine hesitancy) and protective measure adherence. Such actions have profound implications as nations attempt to achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic once and for all. Thus, it is vital that public health officials, health providers, researchers, and the general public be able to differentiate common Covid-19 myths from facts and be prepared to approach such interactions via sound reasoning and research-based evidence. This chapter will serve as a guide to accomplish just that.

scholarly journals Willingness, beliefs, and barriers regarding the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia: a multiregional cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noura Altulahi ◽  
Shouq AlNujaim ◽  
Azzam Alabdulqader ◽  
Abdullah Alkharashi ◽  
Assaf AlMalki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High School Degree ◽  
Validated Questionnaire

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide, and the vaccine remains the ultimate cornerstone to overcoming its long-term impact. Vaccine hesitancy might obstruct the effort to achieve herd immunity and eradicate the virus. We assessed Saudi Arabian individuals’ willingness, beliefs, and barriers regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and their adherence to preventive measures during and after the pandemic. Methods A self-administered electronic validated questionnaire was distributed among the five major regions in Saudi Arabia between November and December 2020. The questionnaire addressed the sociodemographic data, beliefs, potential barriers, parents’ acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination for their children, and adherence to protective measures during and after the pandemic. Results Of 8,056 participants, 4,218 (52.4%) of a non-representative sample were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Being a young adult, male, having less than a high school degree, being a smoker, having a chronic disease, and having a history of seasonal influenza vaccine uptake were positive predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Hesitant participants reported concerns about vaccine side effects and safety as the main barriers to accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Some refusers (26.1%) declared that they would reconsider vaccination only if the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine were reported by more studies. Conclusions Our study revealed a promising willingness to accept the vaccine among the population, with positive beliefs and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. However, a considerable proportion of the population was reluctant to accept the vaccine. Thus, publicly providing information about vaccine safety and implementing health education programs is crucial for increasing the public’s confidence in the vaccine.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Eight European Countries: Prevalence, Determinants and Heterogeneity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Steinert ◽  
Henrike Sternberg ◽  
Hannah Prince ◽  
Barbara Fasolo ◽  
Matteo Galizzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Recursive Partitioning ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Medical Benefits ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Vaccination Certificate

Abstract Vaccine hesitancy poses a major obstacle to containing COVID-19. Previous experimental studies of communication strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccine uptake have been conducted in a single country each, often testing strategies that have differed from those studied in other countries. On the few occasions when two or more single-country studies have tested similar treatments, they have yielded inconsistent findings. For example, highlighting pro-social benefits increased participants’ willingness to get vaccinated in the UK and the US, but had no effect in France and the UK, thus calling into question the often implied generalisability of previous findings. We experimentally assess the effectiveness of different information treatments across eight European countries and examine heterogeneity in the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as in the perceptions of the different vaccines available, within and across countries. We reveal striking differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy across countries, ranging from 5.5% of the adult population in Spain to 50.94% in Bulgaria. The main barriers to vaccine acceptance were fears regarding the quality and safety of the vaccines, as well as mistrust in government. Receiving information emphasising (i) COVID-19 risk reduction through vaccination, (ii) non-medical benefits of a vaccination certificate, and (iii) hedonistic benefits significantly increases vaccination willingness in Germany, but only the vaccination certificate message significantly increases willingness in the UK. No information treatment has significant effects in any other country. A machine-learning technique, model-based recursive partitioning, reveals that the effectiveness of some information treatments is highly heterogeneous among subsets of the population, with adverse effects for Spanish, German and Italian participants without active employment. The heterogeneity of vaccine hesitancy and responses to different messages suggests that health authorities should avoid one-size-fits-all messages and instead tailor vaccination campaigns to their specific target populations, with special care to more disadvantaged populations.

scholarly journals Preventive Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associations With Perceived Behavioral Control, Attitudes, and Subjective Norm

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damaris Aschwanden ◽  
Jason E. Strickhouser ◽  
Amanda A. Sesker ◽  
Ji Hyun Lee ◽  
Martina Luchetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Preventive Behaviors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Age Range

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious and potentially fatal infectious disease that has swept the globe. To reduce the spread, it is important to engage in preventive behaviors recommended by health authorities, such as washing your hands, wearing a face mask, and social distancing.Aim: In the present study, we draw from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the associations between perceived behavioral control, attitudes, and subjective norm and whether people engage in eight different preventive behaviors.Methods: For each of the preventive behaviors (washing hands; using hand sanitizer; not touching your face; social distancing; wearing a face mask; disinfecting surfaces; coughing in your elbow; staying home if sick), we conducted separate logistic regressions predicting whether the participants (N = 2,256; age range = 18–98 years) reported engaging in the behavior from their perceived behavioral control, attitudes, and subjective norm.Results: We found that perceived behavioral control, attitudes, and subjective norm had independent significant associations with each preventive behavior. Moderation analyses revealed that for most behaviors the associations with perceived behavioral control were stronger for older adults than for younger adults.Limitation: The present study was cross-sectional; future longitudinal studies and interventions are needed to disentangle directionality.Conclusion: Our findings suggest several ways to increase adherence to health behaviors that reduce the spread of coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Targeting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Minority Populations in the US: Implications for Herd Immunity

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 489
Author(s):  
James E. K. Hildreth ◽  
Donald J. Alcendor
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
The Us

There has been a continuous underrepresentation of minorities in healthcare research and vaccine trials, along with long-standing systemic racism and discrimination that have been fueling the distrust of the healthcare system among these communities for decades. The history and legacy of racial injustices and negative experiences within a culturally insensitive healthcare system have greatly contributed to vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minorities. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will impact vaccine uptake in the US, subsequently hindering the establishment of herd immunity (75–85% of the population vaccinated) to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. Information targeting underserved racial/ethnic minorities in the US in a culturally competent manner has been lacking. This information is crucial for educating these communities about COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution as well as dispelling misinformation regarding vaccine trials, safety, and efficacy. This lack of education has greatly contributed to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and will increase disparities in vaccine uptake. Moreover, timely vaccinations are also essential to curtailing virus transmission and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that may evade the immune response produced by the three existing COVID-19 vaccines.

scholarly journals Growing Need for Alternative Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy in the Face of Vaccination Uptake Hesitancy in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
Nura Ikhalea ◽  
◽  
Hafsah Mohammed ◽  
Nura Ikhalea ◽  
Hafsah Mohammed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Vaccination Strategy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
The Us ◽  
Legal Strategies ◽  
Vaccine Information

There has been accelerated effort geared towards the swift creation of COVID-19 vaccines; however, this fast pace poses a negative impact on vaccine acceptance. The current US COVID vaccine hesitancy of 23-33% has a ripple effect and makes it impossible to attain community immunity. The primary aim of this study was to assess the current COVID vaccine hesitancy rates and to argue for the need of more effective strategies to improve its uptake in the US. This paper reviewed quantitative peer-reviewed publications assessing COVID vaccine hesitancy in the US. It was revealed that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was influenced by myriad factors like gender, education, political affiliation, race and location. Transparency and a mix of communication, local partnerships, incentives and arguably legal strategies can be adopted to attenuate US COVID vaccine hesitancy. Lastly, vulnerable demographics (black Americans and conservatives) need targeted COVID vaccine information. Keywords: Covid 19 Vaccines, Herd Immunity, Vaccine Uptake, Hesitancy and Vaccine Education

scholarly journals No such thing as a free-rider? Understanding multicountry drivers of childhood and adult vaccination

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Verelst ◽  
Roselinde Kessels ◽  
Lander Willem ◽  
Philippe Beutels
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Peer Influence ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Free Rider ◽  
Vaccine Effectiveness ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Disease ◽  
Preventable Disease

AbstractBackgroundIncreased vaccine hesitancy and refusal negatively affects vaccine uptake leading to vaccine preventable disease reemergence. We aimed to quantify the relative importance of characteristics people consider when making vaccine decisions for themselves, or for their child, with specific attention for underlying motives arising from context, such as required effort (accessibility) and opportunism (free riding on herd immunity).MethodsWe documented attitudes towards vaccination and performed a discrete choice experiment in 4802 respondents in The United Kingdom, France and Belgium eliciting preferences for six attributes: (1) vaccine effectiveness, (2) vaccine preventable disease burden, (3) vaccine accessibility in terms of co-payment, vaccinator and administrative requirements, (4) frequency of mild vaccine-related side-effects, (5) vaccination coverage in the country’s population and (6) local vaccination coverage in personal networks. We distinguished adults deciding on vaccination for themselves (‘oneself’ group) from parents deciding for their youngest child (‘child’ group).ResultsWhile all six attributes were found to be significant, vaccine effectiveness and accessibility stand out in all (sub)samples, followed by vaccine preventable disease burden. We confirmed that people attach more value to severity of disease compared to its frequency and discovered that peer influence dominates free-rider motives, especially for the vaccination of children.ConclusionsThese behavioral data are insightful for policy and are essential to parameterize dynamic vaccination behavior in simulation models. In contrast to what most game theoretical models assume, social norms dominate free-rider incentives. Therefore policy-makers and healthcare workers should actively communicate on high vaccination coverage, and draw attention to the effectiveness of vaccines, while optimizing their practical accessibility.

scholarly journals Understanding perception and acceptance of Sinopharm vaccine and vaccination against COVID–19 in the UAE

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faheem Ahamed ◽  
Subhashini Ganesan ◽  
Anila James ◽  
Walid Abbas Zaher
Keyword(s):  
Survey Design ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Family Doctors ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The People ◽  
Government Websites

Abstract Background In the current COVID-19 pandemic, the world has reached an important milestone where vaccinations are discovered and are proven to be effective against SARS-COV-2 infections. Though vaccines against COVID-19 are now available, around the globe there is some hesitancy in getting the vaccine. This hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is a complex phenomenon with various factors playing a role. This study aims at understanding the perception and expectations of the people about COVID-19 vaccine and the factors influencing the vaccine acceptance. This information is crucial to challenge vaccine hesitancy and to win the combat against the COVID-19 Pandemic through voluntary vaccine efforts. Methods A cross-sectional survey among the residents of the UAE to understand the expectations and perception on vaccination against COVID-19. The survey was conducted online, and the survey design included participant samples to be representative of UAE’s demographics. The results of the survey were analysed with various demographical variables of interest. Results The survey showed that people were more likely to get vaccinated when vaccines are (i) endorsed by trusted government health authorities, (ii) recommended by physicians and family doctors, and (iii) the merits are effectively communicated through government websites and trusted news channels. Availability of vaccines at multiple sites and providing vaccines free of charges are likely to improve the rate of vaccination. The perceptions, expectations and the motivational factors needed for people to get vaccinated differed with age, gender, marital status, income level, and employment status. Conclusion To attain herd immunity against COVID-19, a large proportion of the population needs to be vaccinated and to achieve this the vaccination campaigns should target on specific expectations and motivational factors pertaining to each target group to successfully overcome the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability and Hesitancy in Africa: Implications for Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 999-1004
Author(s):  
Steward Mudenda
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Swine Flu ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Vaccine Acceptability ◽  
H1n1 Vaccine ◽  
Flu Vaccine ◽  
Pandemic Vaccine ◽  
To Receive

Background: Increased acceptance and uptake of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is very essential in containing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy is a threat to public health containment of infectious diseases. Aim: The main aim of this study was to review published articles regarding COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and hesitancy across all populations in Africa. Materials and methods: This was a narrative review. A comprehensive literature search was done using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and EMBASE using the keywords vaccine acceptability, vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 pandemic, H1N1 vaccine, swine flu, swine flu vaccine, Africa, and the Boolean word AND. The cited literature was published between March 2001 and June 2021. Results: The few studies were done in Africa so far are among healthcare workers and medical students. Acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 in Africa ranged from 15.4% to 55.9%. This shows increased hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccines in African countries. Many people were concerned about the potential adverse effects and ineffectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines has contributed to the hesitancy reported from different studies. Moreover, sociodemographic characteristics were also predictors of the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusion: Low acceptability rates reported in Africa indicates increased hesitancy to vaccination against COVID-19. The low acceptance of vaccines in Africa can hinder the required 60-70% vaccinations to achieve herd immunity. Therefore, there is a need to develop strategies that will address hesitancy against the COVID-19 vaccines across countries and populations in Africa and the entire globe.

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