People are queuing up to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — and looking forward to restarting normal life. However, not everyone rides the vaccine. Although the number of skeptical people of vaccines may be declining in the United States, it is still high compared to many other countries.
Vaccine hesitaters are not a monolith but a separate group with many reasons to avoid vaccination. Some are concerned that the COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe or that the potential side effects are not worth the risk of taking them. Some think the risk of getting COVID themselves is low, so why bother? And some are opposed to government intervention and see the vaccine as overpopulation and a ban on personal freedom. A small amount simply contradicts all policies.
People have so many different reasons for not being vaccinated can make it difficult to get everyone on the same board, which affects us all. Without a sufficient number of people being vaccinated, we will not be able to "protect the herd." That means the epidemic can go on forever.
So, how can we help people overcome their resistance to vaccination? While science has no fire answer to this problem, research shows that some methods may be better than others and maybe worth trying - especially if people are on the phone rather than vaccines, in general. Here is what science says about going to someone reluctant to vaccinate.
1. Listen to their concerns - be compassionate
While our first tendency to vaccinate antagonists may be to punish them or come to them with a host of facts, that may not work. Instead, we should start by listening to people's concerns without judgment so that we can better address their needs, said Heidi Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
“If you make a lot of thinking about what people think, then people get upset because your intervention doesn’t matter to them,” he said. "It's essential to listen and really understand because maybe someone has a legitimate concern and just needs clear information."
Research into health care settings suggests that showing empathy can help promote adherence to vaccines, as it increases trust in the messenger. Larson’s latest book, Stuck: Why Vaccine Rumors Start and Why They Won’t Go Away, advises a more understandable view of drug doubts. Talk to people with respect and dignity, even if you disagree with them.
To show empathy, do not say something like this: “Understandably, you will have questions about vaccines. There are many conflicting details out there. Did you hear? ”Making people feel that their concerns are important and that they will not be fired can reduce their self-esteem and help them listen better on their own.
2. Provide clear details relevant to people's concerns… but not too much
In some cases, it may be helpful to provide information about someone's concerns from an impartial source, such as the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization. While not everyone will be open to that, those who would enjoy the exact details.
Alternatively, if you feel your friend or family member trusts you to give them a straightforward story, you may prefer to summarize the findings rather than provide detailed lessons. For example, a relative of mine recently expressed concern that the vaccine was “too fast” without adequate testing. For him, it made sense to explain why vaccines were developed so quickly (because of previous work on similar antiretroviral drugs and international cooperation) and how safe they were - something most people do not know.
However, pressuring them with too much information can be dangerous. When exposed to many contradictions in their strong opinions, people tend to take the form of controversy, using force to dig holes in your mind, says researcher Adam Grant. Perhaps it is better to point a person to one solid argument than to kill scientific studies.
However, people tend to pay attention to details that support their preconceived notions and ignore conflicting data (what researchers call confirmation bias) or give negative news more credibility than good news (negativity bias). While helping people understand how racism sometimes works can make them open to changing their views, it can be difficult to find a daily discussion of policies. Instead, it may be helpful to acknowledge just how difficult it is to organize new information when faced with fear and anxiety while emphasizing the importance of goals.
“This is a changing and changing space, and we don't have all the answers; therefore, we need to understand human uncertainty, ”said Larson. "At the same time, we need to remind people that COVID is not over yet, and if you are vaccinated, you are obviously in a better place than you are."
3. Consider finding a better messenger
When faced with a crisis, most of us will become accustomed to sticking to our ID teams for security and support. Unfortunately, that can lead to “group thinking,” in which people slander information from someone outside their group — even if it is true — helping to spread skepticism about the vaccine among groups.
In the United States, many Republicans, white Christian evangelicals, and people of color remain unaccounted for, partly because of a group's distrust of government or science - or because they do not care about the violence of COVID-19. If you are not a member of these groups, and you are trying to convince people who will be taking the vaccine, you may be doing them a disservice by passing on vaccination messages.
For example, one recent study found that Republicans who were skeptical of vaccines were more willing to change their minds when they heard vaccine-defensive messages from Republican statistics - and they were less willing if the message came from Democrats. A large study of black and Latin societies suggests that it would be better to identify people of color to take vaccination punishments among their personal groups — a trusted physician, pastor, or community member in that community, who may understand their worldview and have certain clout.
Larson points out that in Britain, Bangladeshi chefs and restaurant owners are issuing vaccine protection messages to increase vaccination rates in their communities. In the U.S., group organizers, including African hairdressers and health workers, have urged Black people to get vaccinated. Even Donald Trump has become a vaccine agent. Identifying other influential people can help people overcome their resistance if they are related to the messenger.
4. Advocating for human sacrifice and common sense
Some not vaccinated people are afraid or refuse to be told what to do, but appealing to their care for others can help overcome their doubts.
In a study conducted by Larson and colleagues, researchers interviewed 8,000 people in the U.S. and the UK to understand their views on the vaccine better. While the study focused on the impact of misinformation on vaccination rates - and, sadly, it showed growing suspicion - the researchers also found that people were willing to vaccinate 6% if they were told it protected others more than self-defense. This has shown previous studies finding that considering the safety of others increased the willingness to wear a mask and take precautionary measures.
Advocating for our shared disability may also be unnecessary, says Larson, as an epidemic of progressively stifling shared goals - such as opening businesses and strengthening our fragile economy. If we can tie the mass vaccination to the human mind of unity and the same purpose, it can make a difference in resisting the vaccine.
“One of the things about COVID policies, which is so different from children's policies, is that they are important for everyone,” Larson said. “It's not just about you. We must do this together. ”
5. If nothing happens, set boundaries
Given the importance of vaccination for everyone, it is not surprising that people find it difficult to talk to an opposer. Even if you follow the advice of Larson and others, you may not be able to move the person you care about, which can create tension in your marriage.
For example, John (alias) was vaccinated as soon as he was fit, but his family members refused to give him the vaccine. While many of them became ill and his uncle, who refused the injection, died of COVID-19, John felt the grief and anger of his family.
"I stubbornly refused to go to my uncle's party and his ministry because there would be so many uninvited, anti-masked people flying from all over the country," he said.
While his condition may not have moved one of his relatives to change his mind, it was a defense, and that is important, too, Larson said. When you are in a very emotional state, it is not a good time to talk to someone about his doubts openly, in a neutral way, or introduce them to facts and figures.
Also, if uninvited friends and family ask you to be with them, for whatever reason, you should feel completely rejected, Larson said.
"I would not be ashamed to say, 'It is your choice to vaccinate, but for me, I do not want to risk it,'" he said.
On the other hand, he says, we can hope that people can change their minds on their own as uninvited people face many restrictions - or finding friends and relatives leaving them out of work - that can have a greater impact than any particular message you can give them.
"We will reach a point where there will be things that people can do if they are not vaccinated," he said. "People can be so frustrated they just want to go for whatever it takes to get vaccinated - without having to worry about the definitions."
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