- Boyle, Glen Nowak, R. Kinder, R. Iachan, and J. Dayton, “Understanding the Impact of General Vaccine Attitudes on the Intent for Early COVID-19 Vaccination,” Vaccines, 2023, 11(2), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020235.
Abstract: This study provides a more comprehensive assessment of factors influencing willingness to get an early COVID-19 and the relative contribution of general vaccine attitudes, compared to demographics, perceived threat and institutional trust. Monthly national surveys were conducted between June and November 2020 using a national consumer panel of U.S. adults (n = 6185). By late November, only 24% of respondents said they were very likely to get a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it became available. While COVID-19 risk perceptions, confidence and trust in key institutions and information sources, and some demographic variables, were predictive of early vaccination intent, general beliefs regarding vaccines played a significant role, even compared to demographics, perceived risk and institutional trust. This lesson from the COVID-19 experience could help inform public health communications in future epidemics.
A multi-method study (Study 1: Focus groups; Study 2: Survey; Study 3: Online experiment) will examine user-generated COVID-19 vaccine information in social media-based vlogs to (1) identify eWOM content attributes in online vaccine experience vlogs that serve as trust cues to individuals, allowing them to form an initial level of trust toward the vlogger and the COVID-19 vaccine, (2) evaluate the efficacy of such trust cues at generating individuals’ trust, and (3) identify cues that most effectively influence individuals’ trust and attitudinal and behavioral responses.
Abstract: This study investigated if and how exposure to Facebook comments about vaccines influences one’s attitude toward the vaccines. In this investigation, comments were examined in light of their effect on attitude toward vaccines through perceived distribution of public opinion on vaccines, and perceived vaccine efficacy was tested as a factor moderating relative effects of comments on perception of public opinion distributions. Results from an experimental study (N = 271) showed that exposure to a greater number of comments in a thread expressing (un)favorable opinions on the flu vaccine led to (un)favorable attitude toward the flu vaccine through a change in perceived distribution of public opinions on the vaccination. The indirect effect of comments on attitude toward the flu vaccine through perceived public opinion distributions was greater among participants with lower levels of perceived vaccine efficacy, while the direct effect of comments on attitude was not significant.
Abstract: This study investigated if and how exposure to Facebook comments about vaccines influences one’s attitude toward the vaccines. In this investigation, comments were examined in light of their effect on attitude toward vaccines through perceived distribution of public opinion on vaccines, and perceived vaccine efficacy was tested as a factor moderating relative effects of comments on perception of public opinion distributions. Results from an experimental study (N = 271) showed that exposure to a greater number of comments in a thread expressing (un)favorable opinions on the flu vaccine led to (un)favorable attitude toward the flu vaccine through a change in perceived distribution of public opinions on the vaccination. The indirect effect of comments on attitude toward the flu vaccine through perceived public opinion distributions was greater among participants with lower levels of perceived vaccine efficacy, while the direct effect of comments on attitude was not significant.
Abstract: To develop a Vaccine Confidence Index (VCI) that is capable of detecting variations in parental confidence towards childhood immunizations centered on trust and concern issues that impact vaccine confidence. Methods: We used a web-based national poll of 893 parents of children <7 years in 2016 to assess the measures created for the Emory VCI (EVCI). EVCI measures were developed using constructs related to vaccine confidence identified by the U.S. National Vaccine Advisory Committee (i.e., “Information Environment”, “Trust”, “Healthcare Provider”, “Attitudes and Beliefs”, and “Social Norms”). Reliability for EVCI was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Using the variables related to each of the constructs, we calculated an overall EVCI score that was then assessed against self-reported childhood vaccine receipt using chi-square and the Cochrane-Armitage trend tests. Results: Respondents’ EVCI scores could range from 0 to 24, and the full range of values was observed in this sample (Mean = 17.5 (SD 4.8)). EVCI scores were significantly different (p ≤ 0.006 for all comparisons) between parents who indicated their child(ren) received routinely recommended vaccines compared with parents who indicated they had delayed or declined recommended immunizations. There was also a significant, consistent association between higher EVCI scores and greater reported vaccine receipt. Conclusions: We developed EVCI to reliably measure parental vaccine confidence, with individuals’ scores linked to parental vaccine-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. As such, EVCI may be a useful tool for future monitoring of both population and individual confidence in childhood immunization.
Abstract: Recognizing that social media has become an important place for individuals to acquire vaccine-related information, this study investigated if and how exposure to user-generated comments in social media platforms influences individuals’ attitude toward vaccines. In this investigation, social media comments were investigated in light of their effect on attitude toward vaccines through shaping perception of public consensus, and perceived vaccine efficacy was considered as a moderator of comments’ relative effects. The results from an experimental study (N = 273) showed that an opinion expressed by numerically dominant comments positively predicted participants’ attitude toward the flu vaccine through altering perceived public consensus in the same direction of the comments shown. Moreover, unlike participants with low and medium levels of perceived vaccine efficacy, those with high vaccine efficacy were not influenced by comments when forming perceived public consensus.
