COVID-19 Vaccine Science: Public Distrust Remains High Over Three Years

About one-third of Americans mistrust the science behind COVID-19 vaccines, with personal loss, education, and income levels playing key roles in shaping vaccine acceptance.

A study led by researchers from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) explores public trust in COVID-19 vaccine science and its influence on vaccine acceptance in the United States between 2021 and 2023 ().

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Trends in Public Distrust of Vaccine Science (2021-2023)

By analyzing data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021, 2022, and 2023, the researchers discovered that approximately one-third of respondents expressed distrust in the science behind COVID-19 vaccines, with 36.1% in 2021, 32.8% in 2022, and 36.2% in 2023.

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Trust in Vaccine Science Among Grieving Individuals

Individuals who lost a family member or close friend to COVID-19 were significantly more likely to trust vaccine science and accept vaccination. Those who experienced a loss within the past year were nearly four times more likely to trust the science than those who did not experience a loss.

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The Impact of Education, Gender, and Income on Vaccine Beliefs

Higher trust levels were associated with male respondents, those with university degrees, and individuals with above-median incomes.

Trust in science was a strong predictor of vaccine acceptance and willingness to receive future boosters. Trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an information source was significantly correlated with both vaccine acceptance and future booster uptake.

"Our findings underscore the critical role of trust in science during public health crises,” says ISGlobal Postdoctoral Fellow Trenton M. White, the study's lead author. “The fact that personal experiences of loss due to COVID-19 was associated with trust levels highlights the need for public health communications to be sensitive to the emotional impact of the pandemic."

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Building Trust Through Effective Health Communication

The researchers emphasize that maintaining and enhancing public trust in vaccination programs requires strengthening trust in health communication from public sources, particularly the CDC. They suggest that future public health strategies should consider the diverse socio-economic and educational backgrounds of the U.S. population to build and maintain trust in science-based solutions effectively.

“This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and health communicators as they continue to navigate the ongoing challenge of global vaccine hesitancy,” says CUNY SPH Dean Ayman El-Mohandes, the study’s senior author.

Reference:

Trust in the science behind COVID-19 vaccines as a driver of vaccine acceptance in the United States, 2021-2023 - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590136224001499?via%3Dihub)

Source-Eurekalert