Combating Vaccine Hesitancy

To end the pandemic, it is essential that anyone who can receive a COVID-19 vaccine do so. But about a quarter of Americans have expressed hesitancy about coronavirus vaccination. The reality is that the more people refuse the vaccine, the more unlikely herd immunity becomes, creating ongoing risks for everyone.

Today on the blog, I’ve listed a few resources to combat vaccine hesitancy and begin conversations that are crucial for our collective health and safety: 

Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

“Convincing people of the benefits of vaccination can’t rely on just facts, Zikmund-Fisher stresses. A person’s risk assessment doesn’t come from facts but from experience.

‘The fact is COVID-19 is not something most people are experienced with until it’s too late,’ says Zikmund-Fisher. ‘Until we know someone who is already sick, died, or spread it in our family, we don’t necessarily have that first-hand experience, and that’s one of the things that makes it hard to be concerned about it.’

He recommends that more people should share their experience with COVID-19 to make it more real for the unvaccinated.”

3 ways physicians can help combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

 “Reassure patients that ‘no corners were cut’

Operation Warp Speed (OWS) was launched by the federal government to accelerate the timeline of vaccine development in response to COVID-19, and that acceleration has led some patients to be concerned that more emphasis was put on speed than safety in the vaccine development. Dr. Bailey, an allergist and immunologist in Fort Worth, Texas, said it is critical for patients to appreciate that was not the case.

‘It’s important to understand that no corners were cut in developing this vaccine,” she said. ‘Red tape was cut, but no corners were cut scientifically.’”

The Surprising Key to Combatting Vaccine Refusal

“This approach is often called ‘motivational interviewing.’ It works like this: Instead of telling people why you think they should change, you ask them open-ended questions to help them discover their own reasons. If their motivation (e.g., ‘I want to be healthy’) matches your goal (e.g., ‘I want you to take this vaccine’), you can guide them toward a plan.”