Once upon a virus: Understanding the American public's COVID-19 vaccination uptake

ABSTRACT

Newly developed COVID-19 vaccines are a powerful instrument in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the American public's confidence in and willingness to receive the vaccines continue to define the outcome of this mass public health intervention. Employing the psychometric paradigm (Slovic, 1987), this dissertation examines how the American public weighs the risk from the COVID-19 vaccines against the risk from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this risk comparison influences their likelihood to engage in risk mitigative behaviors. Three contextually-relevant individual characteristics that influence vaccine uptake are additionally examined. Two national surveys of American adults were conducted. Key findings are as follows Study 1 establishes that the public perceive more dread risk toward the pandemic and more unknown risk toward the vaccines;this direct comparison influenced their subsequent risk mitigative actions. There were also differences between how vaccinated vs. unvaccinated individuals viewed the two risk events. Study 2 reveals that anticipated regret mediated the relationship between belief in misinformation about the two risk events and risk mitigative behaviors. Lastly, juxtaposing the quantitative findings, Study 3 presents qualitative inquiries to understand the social realities of the public as they live through an ongoing crisis. To better understand vaccine hesitancy, this dissertation gleans into the public's risk attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccines that have been molded by a complex combination of information, relative risks and benefits tradeoffs, emotional responses, and individual characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)