Educating society about the unseen, but not unknown, risk factors for severe COVID-19: a step towards overcoming vaccine hesitancy through a more informed public

Kristian M Hargadon

doi:10.29392/001c.26142

Abstract

Among the well-documented reasons for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine hesitancy is a lack of perceived threat of COVID-19 illness. Current public health messaging about risk factors for severe COVID-19 supports this misconception, highlighting age and underlying health conditions readily detected in the population as the primary risk factors for COVID-19-associated complications. In addition to these well-publicized risk factors, defects in the type I interferon antiviral defense system have emerged as another significant, though less visible, risk factor for severe COVID-19. Including these findings in public health messaging will promote this knowledge outside of the scientific community and increase awareness that not all COVID-19 risk factors can be readily observed in oneself and others. Efforts to improve public education about these unseen risk factors for severe COVID-19 are likely to influence attitudes towards individual risk of disease complications and may ultimately encourage SARS-CoV-2 vaccine acceptance.

Highlights

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy has been well-documented since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and is concerning with new variants such as the Delta and Gamma variants spreading rapidly
With the potential for these variants to acquire additional mutations that confer resistance to currently available vaccines, it is critical that we reduce the number of hosts available for virus evolution as quickly as possible
Though neutralizing titers against currently circulating variants are reduced when compared to those against the original strain, they remain at levels that are protective from serious disease. These findings demonstrate the broad immunity conferred by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination to date, while highlighting a worrying evolutionary trajectory that could eventually result in generation of a vaccine escape variant, an outcome that would set the world back significantly in its ongoing fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy has been well-documented since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and is concerning with new variants such as the Delta and Gamma variants spreading rapidly. As an educator who has spoken to diverse audiences about COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, I am not surprised by the lack of perceived risk cited above, as I cannot begin to count the number of times during the last year and a half that I’ve heard comments like, “The virus only causes the common cold in 99% of those it infects,” or, “I don’t have an underlying condition, so I’ll take my chances.” But it is as an educator that I believe this mindset to be one that we can positively influence through more effective and consistent communication with the public.

Results

Conclusion