Reverse vaccine hesitancy: a qualitative study assessing factors that drive COVID-19 vaccine acceptance on Vashon Island, WA

Abstract

Abstract Reverse vaccine hesitancy: a qualitative study assessing factors that drive COVID-19 vaccine acceptance on Vashon Island, WA Tokpagnan Oscar Loua, MD Chairs of the Supervisory Committee:Michele Andrasik, PhD Department of Global Health BackgroundVaccine hesitancy remains a major threat to controlling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Vashon Island, WA has historically been defined as a vaccine hesitant community yet has one of the highest COVID-19 uptake rates in the state. This study aimed to understand views of parents who were previously hesitant towards childhood vaccines yet were receptive to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, a concept defined as “reverse vaccine hesitancy”. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 Vashon parents. A mix of purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A rapid qualitative data analysis approach was used to identify key findings along the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Results Four key factors that impacted participants’ decision to receive the COVID-19 uptake were identified, namely trust in the vaccine’s efficacy and safety, a sense of altruism regarding wanting to protect their community from getting the virus, positive peer pressure, as well as the removal of structural barriers that improved vaccine accessibility. Conclusion Vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue and thus, requires a multifaceted strategy. Key recommendations for improving vaccine uptake rates in hesitant setting include framing vaccine acceptance as a social norm as well as developing accurate and transparent vaccine messages using trusted information sources. Future research is needed to continue to understand this phenomenon to further develop effective vaccination campaigns to not only end the pandemic but also improve vaccine efforts for other diseases.