Department of Public Health Sciences (Drs. Mayo, Dozier, and Yousefi-Nooraie), and Department of Family Medicine and Center for Community Health and Prevention (Dr. Russell), University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY; Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center and Susan B. Anthony Center, University of Rochester, NY (Dr. Cullen) Nicole_Mayo@URMC.Rochester.edu
The authors reported no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article.
When encountering patients who are strongly hesitant to vaccination, an approach emphasizing concrete personal benefit may prove more effective than one stressing protection of others from illness. It is important to note, though, that findings from other countries may not be relevant to US patients due to differences in demographic factors, individual beliefs, and political climate.
It helps to explain herd immunity by providing concrete examples
Among the collective benefits of vaccination is the decreased risk of transmitting the disease to others (eg, family, friends, neighbors, colleagues), a quicker “return to normalcy,” and herd immunity.13 While individual health benefits may more strongly motivate people to get vaccinated than collective benefits, this may be due to a lack of understanding about herd immunity among the general public.The optimal method of communicating information on herd immunity is not known.14
Betsch and colleagues15 found that explaining herd immunity using interactive simulations increased vaccine intent, especially in countries that prioritize the self (rather than prioritizing the group over the individual). In addition to educating study participants about herd immunity, telling them how local vaccine coverage compared to the desired level of coverage helped to increase (influenza) vaccine intent among those who were least informed about herd immunity.16
Providing concrete examples of the collective benefits of vaccination (eg, protecting grandparents, children too young to be vaccinated, and those at increased risk for severe illness) or sharing stories about how other patients suffered from the disease in question may increase the likelihood of vaccination. One recent trial by Pfattheicher and colleagues17 found that empathy for those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and increased knowledge about herd immunity were 2 factors associated with greater vaccine intentions.
In this study, the authors induced empathy and increased COVID-19 vaccination intention by having participants read a short story about 2 close siblings who worked together in a nursing facility. In the story, participants learned that both siblings were given a diagnosis of COVID-19 at the same time but only 1 survived.17
