Shots heard round the world: better communication holds the key to increasing vaccine acceptance

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Community Perceptions of Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines at Turtle Creek Primary Care Center

BACKGROUND

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 vaccination rates are subpar across the US, especially in racial and/or socioeconomic minority groups who are understudied in public health literature.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this mixed-methods study was to elucidate attitudes of patients at the Turtle Creek Primary Care Center, a clinic that cares for ∼70% non-white patients, towards flu and COVID-19 vaccines, with the goal of establishing vaccine education gaps and increasing vaccine uptake in minority communities.

DESIGN/PATIENTS

This study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis. Authors completed 123 patient phone surveys of patients cared for at the Turtle Creek clinic inquiring about flu and COVID-19 infection status and vaccination uptake (August 26-October 10, 2021).

APPROACH/KEY RESULTS

We found that rates of vaccination were subpar in the Turtle Creek community, with only 54% having received the COVID-19 vaccine and only 44% receiving the flu vaccine regularly. There was a strong association between COVID-19 and flu vaccine acceptance and a notable correlation between vaccine acceptance and age. When assessing how vaccine acceptance was influenced by trusted sources of information, those who cited trusting "medical professionals" and "word of mouth" had higher odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance but those who cited trusting "social media" had decreased odds of acceptance. Finally, we uncovered 14 common factors for either vaccine acceptance or refusal that clustered into four overarching themes of trust, need, safety, and availability.

CONCLUSION

These data highlight the necessity of improved vaccine education and reveal targetable populations and approaches for disseminating vaccine information.

Using Technology to Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy

Technology holds great potential to address many vaccine hesitancy determinants and support vaccine uptake given its ability to amplify positive messages, support knowledge, and enhance providers' recommendations. Modalities previously implemented with variable success have included automated reminder systems, decision support for clinicians, online education programs, social media campaigns, and virtual reality curricula. Further research is needed to identify the optimal uses of technology at the patient/parent and provider levels to overcome vaccine hesitancy. The most effective interventions will likely be multipronged providing patients, parents, and providers with information related to vaccine status.

Social Media and Vaccine Hesitancy: Help Us Move the Needle

With more than 75% of parents and pediatric caregivers getting their health-related information online, reaching families on social media is a powerful way to leverage the trust built in the examination room to address vaccine hesitancy. This article first reviews the ways the antivaccine movement has leveraged social media to expand its considerable influence, and why social media companies have failed to reduce antivaccine misinformation and disinformation. Next, it reviews the barriers to adoption of social media-based communication by pediatric health-care providers and concludes with action-oriented items to increase the adoption of this powerful tool.

Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Immunization programmes have been globally recognized as one of the most successful medical interventions against infectious diseases. Despite the proven efficacy and safety profiles of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, there are still a substantial number of people who express vaccine hesitancy. Factors that influence vaccine decision-making are heterogenous, complex, and context specific and may be caused or amplified by uncontrolled online information or misinformation. With respect to COVID-19, the recent emergence of novel variants of concern that give rise to milder disease also drives vaccine hesitancy. Healthcare professionals remain one of the most trusted groups to advise and provide information to those ambivalent about COVID-19 vaccination and should be equipped with adequate resources and information as well as practical guidance to empower them to effectively discuss concerns. This article seeks to summarize the currently available information to address the most common concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination.