Trusting the science behind COVID-19 vaccines is a key factor for vaccine acceptance in the United States and indicates the willingness individuals have of getting booster shots, according to research published in the journal Vaccine: X.1 The authors of the study said trust in public health sources must be strengthened for the public to have confidence in vaccine programs.
Trusting COVID-19 Vaccine Science Crucial in Vaccine Acceptance Among US Adults / Trsakaoe – stock.adobe.com
According to data from a poll conducted by Pew Research Center, only 28% of adults in the country say they have received an updated COVID-19 vaccine.2 In another poll done by the de Beaumont Foundation, 33% of respondents said their biggest concern about getting a COVID-19 vaccine was long-term of short-term side effects. The poll also found moralizing and lecturing about the importance of vaccine acceptance needs to be avoided.3
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“The relationship between public trust in new scientific discovery and vaccine uptake emerged as a critical area of investigation during the pandemic,” the authors wrote. “The ongoing dialogue surrounding vaccine acceptance underscores the critical role of trust in science-based solutions in navigating public health crises. Examining the fluctuations in public trust over time may enable researchers to formulate more sophisticated messages and communication strategies to rebuild public trust in science and increase vaccine coverage.”
A team of investigators from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health conducted a study to evaluate changes in public trust in the science behind COVID-19 vaccines and how the loss of a family member or close friend to the disease influences trust and vaccine acceptance. Data for the study was gathered from a series of cross-sectional surveys conducted in the US in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The 3 surveys included in the study were conducted by Consensus Strategies and Emerson College Polling as part of a larger study to identify determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in 23 countries. The new study included adults residing in the US, of which 50.9% were female and 35.7% were university graduates. Of those, 31.5% reported losing a family member or a close friend to COVID-19 and 1 in 10 reported loss within the past year.
The study found trust in the science behind COVID-19 vaccines was reported by 63.9% of respondents in 2021, 67.2% in 2022 and 63.8% in 2023. Trust was significantly higher in males, in respondents with a university degree and in those with incomes higher than the median in 2023. Trust was also significantly higher in respondents who reported losing a family member or a friend to COVID-19 within the past year and more than a year ago. There was no correlation with age or race and ethnicity.
Vaccine acceptance was reported by 83% of respondents in 2023 and 72.2% of vaccinated respondents said they would be willing to accept future recommended COVID-19 vaccine boosters. Additionally, vaccine acceptance over time was consistently higher among respondents who reported the loss of a family or friend to COVID-19.
“Our findings underscore the critical role of trust in science during public health crises,” Trenton M White, lead author on the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, said in a release.4 “The fact that personal experiences of loss due to COVID-19 was associated with trust levels highlights the need for public health communications to be sensitive to the emotional impact of the pandemic.”
READ MORE: COVID-19 Resource Center
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References
1. White TM, Wyka K, Rabin K, et al. Trust in the science behind COVID-19 vaccines as a driver of vaccine acceptance in the United States, 2021-2023. Vaccine: X. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100576.
2. How Americans View the Coronavirus, COVID-19 Vaccines Amid Declining Levels of Concern. News Release. Pew Research Center. March 7, 2024. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/03/07/how-americans-view-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccines-amid-declining-levels-of-concern/
3. Poll Reveals Most Effective Language to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance. News Release. De Beaumont. December 2020. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://debeaumont.org/changing-the-covid-conversation/vaccineacceptance/
4. Study reveals stubborn mistrust in COVID-19 vaccine science. News Release. CUNY SPH. November 4, 2024. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://sph.cuny.edu/life-at-sph/news/2024/11/04/stubborn-mistrust-covid-19-vaccine-science/
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