Understanding and Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States through Effective Health Communication

Abstract

Public health organisations and policy leaders have long called for more coordinated strategies and resources to address vaccine hesitancy in the United States. However, to date, no dedicated policy, public health department, or resources have been aimed at vaccine confidence and acceptance of issues. Misinformation is propagated through social media platforms and online communities have contributed to the dissemination of unfounded claims linking vaccines to adverse health outcomes, such as autism (Nuwarda, Ramzan, Weekes and Veysel, 2022). The World Health Organisation (2015) also opines that vaccine hesitancy is influenced by factors such as misinformation, complacency, convenience, and lack of confidence. One can also not rule out the role of historical injustices as system disparities in health care have played on the marginalised communities and have, one way or the other, left a scar on the citizens. One such example is the Tuskegee experiment which began in 1932. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted in 1930s Alabama on African American men with untreated syphilis. The study focused on poverty-stricken men in Macon County, who lacked education and job opportunities. Local doctors sought to understand the disease's impact by surveying both white and black residents (Gilliard, 2010: Perlstadt, 2024). Hence there is a need for these issues to be addressed so that the trust of the communities can be gained. Cultural and religious beliefs also play an important role in shaping vaccine attitudes, and understanding cultural perspective is crucial for engaging hesitant communities. Previous research has found that vaccine hesitancy often occurs after a systematic assessment of vaccinations and most times, the decision to reject vaccination is not due to lack of access to care.