During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities encouraged individuals to get vaccinated to save lives, reunite with their grandparents, and partake in mass gatherings. However, the effectiveness of vaccines plays a crucial role in achieving population-level benefits, and the acceptance of vaccines is contingent upon their efficacy. The researchers wanted to know how the effectiveness of a vaccine influenced the public support for stringent vaccination policies.
Efficacy
A less effective vaccine, on the one hand, requires more individual uptake to protect the whole population. If more people take the more effective vaccine, on the other hand, this provides more protection both for individuals and the whole population.
Hypothetical booster scenarios
The scientists carried out extensive online surveys in the UK, Canada, America, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The participants, divided in various groups, were presented questions regarding a hypothetical future scenario in which the government advocated for a new booster vaccine for a novel COVID-19 variant. The efficacy of the booster was described either in varying percentages ranging from 50 to 90 percent, or described as a lower, same, or higher efficacy than previous vaccines. After that, participants were asked about their support for a series of policies that the government could implement to encourage increased vaccine uptake, ranging from less stringent options, such as freely available booster to more stringent measures, such as restrictions to public spaces for the unvaccinated.
Future strategies
The researchers found that the participants were more willing to accept stringent policies when the booster’s effectiveness was as effective as the previous vaccine or when its effectiveness was greater. If it was seen as less effective than the previous vaccine, the participants were less supportive of stringent policies. The study, which also included scientists from Brunel University, King's College London, the Universities of Toronto and McMasters, and Dartmouth College, was published in Scientific Reports. According to Banerjee, the results of the study can help policymakers, public health communicators, and advocates in crafting future strategies for promoting vaccines and informational campaigns.