Can Communication Strategies Combat COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Trade-Off between Public Service Messages and Public Skepticism? Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic may have reached a turning point as the World Health Organization and the global community of nations step up plans for mass vaccination campaigns. However, the COVID-19 vaccine-related conspiracy theories (e.g., falsehoods about birth control, women infertility, surveillance, and microchip humanity, etc.) have built new momentum for vaccine hesitancy. To this end, several nations worldwide, including Pakistan, are struggling to boost public trust and enthusiasm to get vaccinated, especially in an anxious and complicated atmosphere propelled by multiple, new and the deadliest variants of COVID-19. To address this critical research gap during these intensifying conditions of vaccine hesitancy, the present study makes the first attempt to explore the potential effects of various communication strategies, including public service message (safety benefits versus fear appraisals), media types (i.e., traditional versus digital), self-efficacy, perceived benefits and threats (susceptibility and severity), on the willingness to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Importantly, the underlying effects of public skepticism (in a moderating role) on these relationships were empirically examined. Using four fictitious COVID-19 immunization campaigns in a series of experiments with 2 (media type: traditional vs. digital) X 2 (service attribute: health and safety benefits vs. fear) message frames (represented as Group one to Group four), the findings identified fear appraisal as the most viable communication strategy in combating vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, public skepticism negatively moderated the effects of media types and public service message attributes on willingness to get vaccinated in relatively high (i.e., Group two), moderate (i.e., Group one and four), and low intensities (i.e., Group three). The pioneering findings of this research offer new strategic insights for the global health authorities and vaccine promoters to proactively address the downward spiral of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance

“…Media and public service messaging, particularly fear appraisal-framed public service messages compared to safety benefits public service messages, influence willingness to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine. However, conspiracy theories circulated in the media by vaccination-averse people about vaccine side effects impact people's decision to get vaccinated (198). The hesitation in vaccination may be due to overestimating perceived risk in the COVID-19 pandemic, messaging fatigue, and desensitization caused by repeated exposure to information.…”

Immunity debt or vaccination crisis? A multi-method evidence on vaccine acceptance and media framing for emerging COVID-19 variants

“…Studies support that the COVID-19 pandemic is a time of uncertainty and fear, and media framing of COVID-19 was fear-orientated, with the dominant frame being the alarming frame in the global media [31] . Recent studies posit that messages framed as fear are identified as the most viable communication strategy in combating vaccine hesitancy among the public [36] , [37] . Importantly, our findings of H2 suggest that community acceptance for the vaccine is influence by media framing, especially media framing of COVID-19 using uncertainty, action, and consequence frames.…”

Prevalence, Knowledge and Potential Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among University Students in the United Arab Emirates: Findings and Implications

“…30,54,85,86 This can be facilitated by increasing education among students since we are aware that credible vaccine promoters including physicians can enhance uptake rates. 87,88,89…”