Abstract
While mass vaccination has blunted the pandemic in the United States, pockets of vaccine hesitancy remain. Through a nationally representative survey of 1027 adult Americans conducted in February 2021, this study examined individual misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccine safety; the demographic factors associated with these misconceptions; and the relationship between misconceptions and willingness to vaccinate. Misconceptions about vaccine safety were widespread. A sizeable minority (40%) believed that vaccine side effects are commonly severe or somewhat severe; 85% significantly underestimated the size and scale of the clinical trials; and a sizeable share believed either that the vaccines contain live coronavirus (10%) or were unsure (38%), a proxy for fears that vaccination itself may cause infection. These misconceptions were particularly acute among Republicans, Blacks, individuals with lower levels of educational attainment, and unvaccinated individuals. Perceived side effect severity and underestimating the size of the clinical trials were both significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Our analysis measures the extent of misconceptions on three key dimensions regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety; explores how the extent of misperceptions varies across population subgroups; and tests whether these misconceptions are significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy, defined as delaying or refusing a vaccine despite its availability [12]
We found that many Americans perceive vaccine side effects to be more severe than the empirical evidence from clinical trials suggests
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. As former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tom Frieden observed, “The biggest challenge to getting a COVID-19 vaccine into enough people’s arms won’t be scientific, technical or logistical; it will come from a lack of trust” [2]. Trust, he noted, would come down to whether the vaccine worked, was safe, and would be accessible to the public. Studies that exposed individuals to COVID-19 vaccine misinformation show a decline in self-reported willingness to vaccine [6]. By analyzing the gaps in public understanding of the two COVID-19 vaccines that were authorized and in use in the United States in February 2021, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and whether those misconceptions are associated with individuals’ vaccination preferences, we identified opportunities for public outreach campaigns that may enhance vaccine uptake
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