With Great Hopes Come Great Expectations: Access and Adoption Issues Associated With COVID-19 Vaccines

Su, Zhaohui; McDonnell, Dean; Cheshmehzangi, Ali; Li, Xiaoshan; Maestro, Daniel; Šegalo, Sabina; Ahmad, Junaid; Hao, Xiaoning

doi:10.2196/26111

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Consistent with our findings, survey studies found that safety and efficacy were among the most common COVID-19 vaccine concerns reported by the public and health care workers [ 37 - 40 ]. Additionally, studies have identified safety concerns as being one of the most common reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy [ 8 , 38 - 42 ]. In the United States, surveys indicate that 10% to 20% of adults and an estimated 8% of health care workers will refuse COVID-19 vaccines [ 8 , 37 , 39 , 43 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, in alignment with Google's current intentions, we recommend that all COVID-19 vaccine FAQs be linked to government and academic answer sources; this would provide people with transparent and quality vaccine information. At a minimum, FAQs on safety and efficacy should be answered by government sources, as safety and efficacy concerns are among the primary drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy [39][40][41][42].…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the Public’s Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines Using Search Engine Analytics in the United States: Observational Study

Sajjadi¹,

Shepard²,

Ottwell³

et al. 2021

JMIR Infodemiology

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Background The emergency authorization of COVID-19 vaccines has offered the first means of long-term protection against COVID-19–related illness since the pandemic began. It is important for health care professionals to understand commonly held COVID-19 vaccine concerns and to be equipped with quality information that can be used to assist in medical decision-making. Objective Using Google’s RankBrain machine learning algorithm, we sought to characterize the content of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 vaccines evidenced by internet searches. Secondarily, we sought to examine the information transparency and quality of sources used by Google to answer FAQs on COVID-19 vaccines. Methods We searched COVID-19 vaccine terms on Google and used the “People also ask” box to obtain FAQs generated by Google’s machine learning algorithms. FAQs are assigned an “answer” source by Google. We extracted FAQs and answer sources related to COVID-19 vaccines. We used the Rothwell Classification of Questions to categorize questions on the basis of content. We classified answer sources as either academic, commercial, government, media outlet, or medical practice. We used the Journal of the American Medical Association’s (JAMA’s) benchmark criteria to assess information transparency and Brief DISCERN to assess information quality for answer sources. FAQ and answer source type frequencies were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between information transparency by source type. One-way analysis of variance was used to assess differences in mean Brief DISCERN scores by source type. Results Our search yielded 28 unique FAQs about COVID-19 vaccines. Most COVID-19 vaccine–related FAQs were seeking factual information (22/28, 78.6%), specifically about safety and efficacy (9/22, 40.9%). The most common source type was media outlets (12/28, 42.9%), followed by government sources (11/28, 39.3%). Nineteen sources met 3 or more JAMA benchmark criteria with government sources as the majority (10/19, 52.6%). JAMA benchmark criteria performance did not significantly differ among source types (χ24=7.40; P=.12). One-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in mean Brief DISCERN scores by source type (F4,23=10.27; P<.001). Conclusions The most frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine–related questions pertained to vaccine safety and efficacy. We found that government sources provided the most transparent and highest-quality web-based COVID-19 vaccine–related information. Recognizing common questions and concerns about COVID-19 vaccines may assist in improving vaccination efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Public’s Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines Using Search Engine Analytics in the United States: Observational Study

Sajjadi¹,

Shepard²,

Ottwell³

et al. 2021

JMIR Infodemiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The urgency to vaccinate young adults and foster healthy vaccination habits in this population is particularly pronounced in light of the rising negative media surrounding vaccination, as seen amid the COVID-19 pandemic ( Su et al., 2020b , Su et al., 2020c , Su et al., 2021b , Su et al., 2021a , Su et al., 2021c , Szabo, 2021 ) ( Szabo, 2021 ). Both fact-based (e.g., legitimate reports on side effects) and fake news powered (e.g., vaccine conspiracy theories), which could not only compromise both the effectiveness of vaccination promotion campaigns but also people’s vaccination intentions ( Mason and Donnelly, 2000 ; Rosselli et al., 2017 ; Nyhan et al., 2014 ; Meyer et al., 2016 ; Su et al., 2020b , Su et al., 2020c ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young adults’ preferences for influenza vaccination campaign messages: Implications for COVID-19 vaccine intervention design and development

Su¹,

McDonnell²,

Wen³

et al. 2021

Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health

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Background Health campaign interventions, particularly those tailored to the target audience’s needs and preferences, can cost-effectively change people’s attitudes and behaviors towards better health decision-making. However, there is limited research on how to best tailor seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns for young adults. Vaccination is vital in protecting young adults and their social circles (vulnerable populations like older adults) from the influenza virus and critical in shaping these emerging adults’ vaccination habits in the long run. However, amid the prevalence of easily-accessible, attention-grabbing, and often malicious false and misinformation (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories), it may be more challenging to develop vaccination messages that resonate with young adults well enough to attract their attention. Therefore, to bridge the research gap, this study examines young adults’ preferences for seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns to inform effective intervention design and development. Methods Qualitative survey questions were developed to gauge young adults’ preferences for seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns. A total of 545 young adults (73.9% female, Mage = 19.89, SD = 1.44) from a large University offered complete answers to a cross-sectional online survey. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis procedures were adopted to guide the data analysis process. Results Thematic analysis revealed that young adults prefer seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns that rely on (1) quality and balanced information from (2) credible information sources, positioned in the (3) relevant health contexts, (4) emphasize actionable messages, and incorporate (5) persuasive campaign design. Interestingly, while many participants underscored the importance of fear-appeal messages in persuading them to take health actions, some young adults also suggested avoiding fear campaigns due to discomfort. Conclusions Insights of the study can inform seasonal influenza vaccination design and development, and have the potential to shed light on vaccination messaging in other vaccine contexts, such as COVID-19 vaccines. Results also underscore the need for health experts and government officials to adopt a more nuanced approach when selecting persuasive campaign appeals. While some young adults may resonate well with fear appeals, others may not. Future research could examine the underlying mechanisms that drive young adults’ preference for vaccination campaign intervention to enrich the literature further.

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“…Though successful COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are contingent on many factors ranging from effective vaccine communication, vaccine efficacy, vaccine distribution, vaccine administration, to equitable vaccine accessibility [9][10][11], among all these factors, vaccine accessibility is perhaps the most important contributor upon which the rest of the components depend. For instance, debates about which vaccine is more efficacious or easier to transport are meaningless unless people have access to actual COVID-19 shots so that they can test their efficacy or transport them between places.…”

Section: The Humanitarian Imperative Of Vaccine Empathymentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Vaccine Donations—Vaccine Empathy or Vaccine Diplomacy? A Narrative Literature Review

McDonnell

et al. 2021

Vaccines

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Introduction: Vaccine inequality inflames the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring equitable immunization, vaccine empathy is needed to boost vaccine donations among capable countries. However, damaging narratives built around vaccine donations such as “vaccine diplomacy” could undermine nations’ willingness to donate their vaccines, which, in turn, further exacerbate global vaccine inequality. However, while discussions on vaccine diplomacy are on the rise, there is limited research related to vaccine diplomacy, especially in terms of its characteristics and effects on vaccine distribution vis-à-vis vaccine empathy. Thus, to bridge the research gap, this study aims to examine the defining attributes of vaccine diplomacy and its potential effects on COVID-19 immunization, particularly in light of vaccine empathy. Methods: A narrative review was conducted to shed light on vaccine diplomacy’s defining attributes and effects in the context of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and dissemination. Databases such as PubMed and Medline were utilized for literature search. Additionally, to ensure up-to-date insights are included in the review, validated reports and reverse tracing of eligible articles’ reference lists in Google Scholar have also been conducted to locate relevant records. Results: Vaccine empathy is an individual or a nation’s capability to sympathize with other individuals or nations’ vaccine wants and needs, whereas vaccine diplomacy is a nation’s vaccine efforts that aim to build mutually beneficial relationships with other nations ultimately. Our findings show that while both vaccine empathy and vaccine diplomacy have their strengths and weaknesses, they all have great potential to improve vaccine equality, particularly amid fast-developing and ever-evolving global health crises such as COVID-19. Furthermore, analyses show that, compared to vaccine empathy, vaccine diplomacy might be a more sustainable solution to improve vaccine donations mainly because of its deeper and stronger roots in multilateral collaboration and cooperation. Conclusion: Similar to penicillin, automated external defibrillators, or safety belts amid a roaring global health disaster, COVID-19 vaccines are, essentially, life-saving consumer health products that should be available to those who need them. Though man-made and complicated, vaccine inequality is nonetheless a solvable issue—gaps in vaccine distribution and dissemination can be effectively addressed by timely vaccine donations. Overall, our study underscores the instrumental and indispensable role of vaccine diplomacy in addressing the vaccine inequality issue amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its potentials for making even greater contributions in forging global solidarity amid international health emergencies. Future research could investigate approaches that could further inspire and improve vaccine donations among capable nations at a global scale to advance vaccine equity further.

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With Great Hopes Come Great Expectations: Access and Adoption Issues Associated With COVID-19 Vaccines

Cited by 25 publications

References 41 publications

Examining the Public’s Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines Using Search Engine Analytics in the United States: Observational Study

Examining the Public’s Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines Using Search Engine Analytics in the United States: Observational Study

Young adults’ preferences for influenza vaccination campaign messages: Implications for COVID-19 vaccine intervention design and development

COVID-19 Vaccine Donations—Vaccine Empathy or Vaccine Diplomacy? A Narrative Literature Review

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