vaccine hesitancy: what drives us to get the jab?

vaccine hesitancy is prevalent worldwide, with particularly high levels in russia, africa, and several european countries. a study from the johns hopkins center for communication programs predicts that only 63 per cent of respondents from 23 countries will agree to be vaccinated — well below the 75 per cent minimum necessary for “herd immunity.”

a pink primrose has been selected as the symbol of #italy's covid19 vaccination campaign, set to start mid-jan. gazebos like this computer-generated one are to be set up in 1,500 piazzas to dispense vaccines. #italy now has the highest official number of deaths in europe at +64k. pic.twitter.com/xnwsf9rwos

— megan williams (@mkwilliamsrome) december 14, 2020

but is using the influence of the famous or pretty flowers keys to  an effective vaccine campaign strategy? many use classic communications methods : educational fact sheets, trusted information sources, personalized messages, and even a little fear mongering. but recent studies show that one of the strongest vaccine motivations may be altruism.

professor mark rieger of the university of tier in germany found that participants were more willing to be vaccinated if it reduced danger to vulnerable individuals, rather than reduce risk or inconvenience to themselves. in fact, altruism was more than twice as effective as the other interventions at increasing vaccination willingness. rieger was surprised, but “the result was very clear,” he says.

while this study is limited to vaccination intentions — not actual follow-through, it suggests that protecting others may be a powerful motivation to vaccinate. this theory lines up with findings from philadelphia researchers who discovered that over 80 per cent of covid distress is due to concern for family members or unknowingly infecting others — not one’s own risk of infection.

an italian study also found that the simple presence of an immuno-suppressed individual, a newborn, or a pregnant woman increased the likelihood of vaccination acceptance. this supports the theory that triggering protective instincts may be an effective campaign approach. but the need to keep others out of harm’s way is more than just a reflection of one’s moral beliefs — it also makes us feel good.

altruism is so hard-wired in our brains that even anonymous donations activate the mesolimbic reward pathway, a part of the brain that usually responds to food and sex, suggesting that caring for others is not a high-level moral faculty, but rather a basic pleasure.

this may explain why many vaccine campaigns are using altruistic language. just one of the posters recommended for healthcare facilities by the centers for disease control and prevention states: “why get vaccinated? to protect yourself, your coworkers, your patients, your family, and your community.”

in its covid-19 vaccination communication manual , the national institutes of health (nih) recommends focusing on the “protector” role because this positive message promotes emotions like hope and self-worth, whereas communications targeting negative emotions like fear could induce avoidance behaviour.

buttenheim also warns against assuming that people are vaccine hesitant, when in fact, structural access issues may be preventing vaccination. people need less motivation when there are fewer logistical barriers to immunization, she says.