Fear, confidence, and likelihood of exposure influence people's willingness to be vaccinated

According to a new study published in the journal, fear, confidence and the probability of exposure are the three main factors that determine the willingness of people to get vaccinated against a virulent disease. Heliyon, published by Elsevier.

Following the 2014 high-profile Ebola outbreak in Africa and anticipating the possibility of a future outbreak of Ebola in the United States, a 2014 CNN / ORC survey asked a random sample of 1,018 adults if they would take an Ebola vaccine if and when it became available. About half of the participants indicated that they would, while half expressed hesitation or refusal, even though they were offered Ebola vaccination services.

In this study, researchers performed a secondary badysis of these data to examine the factors contributing to responsiveness of vaccination versus hesitancy. They found that three factors primarily influenced receptivity: a general orientation of fear; confidence in the government to contain a crisis; and the relative probability of being exposed to the pathogen. It is interesting to note that the efficacy and safety of a vaccine is not one of the factors affecting susceptibility.

"Faced with a growing number of epidemics that create risks to public health, our results indicate that vaccine hesitancy is linked to social factors unrelated to the perceived efficacy of vaccines. Willingness to be vaccinated is positively badociated with a widespread feeling of fear, confidence the government's ability to control an outbreak of the disease and the hope of a potential near and imminent Ebola outbreak. " , says one of the study's investigators, Kent P. Schwirian, PhD, professor emeritus of sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Professor Schwirian explained how these three factors affect the willingness of half of the sample population to adopt the protective behavior of vaccination.

• General orientation on fear. Interviewees expressed their fear not only of being infected, but also more generally regarding their view of life and their perception of the evolution of society as a whole. More than 60% of respondents who said they were somewhat or very afraid of events in the United States today were much more likely to consider an Ebola vaccine than those who did not report this anxiety.
• Trust in the government. People who expressed confidence in the US government's ability to prevent an Ebola outbreak were much more willing to take the Ebola vaccine than those who did not trust the government to do so.
• Expectation of exposure of an outbreak of Ebola. About 80% of respondents thought that an Ebola outbreak would occur relatively quickly in the United States, but most people thought that the epidemic would not happen in their community or family. However, the more they thought that the epidemic would come closer to them, the more they would be willing to receive the Ebola vaccine.

Gustavo S. Mesch, PhD, professor of sociology and rector of the University of Haifa, Israel, the other researcher of the study, recommends revisiting the research questions with more up-to-date data. "Our vital struggle against deadly microbes is ultimately at the local level, unless hospitals and health personnel are ready to fight and ready to leave, we are at a major disadvantage to saving lives," he warned. "Confirming the percentage of the population who would choose to be vaccinated and the central role of trust in government would help public health officials plan their responses." He added that the results also showed other factors that could be validated and explored, particularly those older respondents who were more likely to be receptive to the vaccine, as well as those with less formal education. .

Immunization is the main public health response to the growing number of infectious diseases that infect the world's population. At the same time, an increasing movement of anti-vax has resulted in a small but virulent population faction, spreading hesitation despite the ample evidence of vaccine efficacy and safety. The World Health Organization has identified reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have its children vaccinated as one of the top ten health threats of 2019. Understanding the factors that contribute to compliance Immunization or hesitation is essential for controlling outbreaks.

While Ebola is currently largely confined to Africa, other infectious diseases are approaching the United States, such as the measles epidemic in several US states. In this context, it is important to badess the willingness of the public to participate in preventive public health measures and to understand what distinguishes those who are willing to participate from those who are not.