COVID-19 vaccine uptake ‘a matter of words’

ABSTRACT

Speed read Language choice has significant impact on vaccine uptake, researchers say Scientists say study shows power of language choice in health campaigns Trust in a particular language may vary from place to place A simple language intervention has the potential to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, by strengthening trust in the vaccines, researchers say. Janet Geipel, assistant professor, University of Exeter Business School, UK Psychologist Janet Geipel, assistant professor at the University of Exeter Business School, UK, and lead author of the study, said “Our ultimate goal with this study was to find a low-cost intervention, which might have potential to increase trust associated with the COVID-19 vaccine and through this reduce vaccine hesitancy.” According to the researchers, the context in which two different languages are used, and the associations people have with those languages, vary from place to place.