Open AccessThe role of non–COVID-specific and COVID-specific factors in predicting a shift in willingness to vaccinate: A panel study
Author(s) -
Kathleen Hall Jamieson,
Dan Romer,
Patrick E. Jamieson,
Kenneth Winneg,
Josh Pasek
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2112266118
Subject(s) - misinformation , vaccination , covid-19 , worry , pandemic , psychology , disease , medicine , family medicine , immunology , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , anxiety , pathology , psychiatry , law
Significance In communities that remain below the immunity threshold needed to blunt COVID-19’s spread, SARS-CoV-2 has a greater chance of mutating to evade vaccines. This study underscores the central role of trust and knowledge in increasing the likelihood of vaccinating. Trust in scientific institutions and spokespersons anchors time 1 vaccination intentions and knowledge affects them at both times 1 and 2. These background (non–COVID-specific) factors as well as flu vaccination history and patterns of media reliance played a more prominent role in shifting individuals from vaccination hesitance to acceptance than did COVID-specific ones. The study underscores the need for ongoing community engagement and trust building, proactive communication about vaccination, motivating vaccination against seasonal flu, and deploying science-consistent, provaccination voices across media.