Why not get a vaccine?Analysis of Psychological Factors in Rejecting Vaccines-BBC News

However, there are still many people who are unwilling to receive the new crown vaccination. A recent survey by the International Monetary Fund found that the proportion of the population unwilling to receive the new crown vaccine has ranged from a relatively low 10-20% (UK) to a relatively high 50% (Japan). , Or even 60% (France).

Willing to accept the new crown vaccine has become a cultural controversy on social media. Many people think that vaccine hesitators are ignorant or selfish, but psychologists familiar with medical decision-making believe that there are many complex factors behind the resistance to vaccines. If we want to improve the herd immunity of the entire population, we need to properly deal with these complex factors that cause people to resist vaccines.

First of all, it must be clear that it is not easy to assume that everyone who rejects the vaccine is for the same reason. Only a very small number of people who reject the vaccine belong to the weird anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist.

Mohammad Razai of the Population Health Research Institute at St George’s, University of London said that anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists often make anti-vaccine comments on the Internet, but they belong to Very few parts.

The vast majority of people who are hesitant about vaccines are not because of political factors or anti-scientific motives. They just have no way to decide whether or not to receive the vaccine.

The good news is that many people who were hesitant about vaccines at first changed their minds. “But even postponing the vaccine injection is a major threat to public health because the virus spreads very quickly,” Razai said.

As early as before the emergence of the new coronavirus disease at the end of 2019, scientists have begun to study the psychological factors of people’s hesitation about vaccines. They have tried to use different models to explain the psychology behind people’s medical decisions. The most well-known is the following “5 “C” theory:

Of course, in addition to the theory of 5 Cs, there are other psychological reasons why people do not get vaccinated.

A recent study conducted by the University of Oxford found that about 10% of people are unwilling to get vaccinated because they are afraid of injections. This may explain some people’s psychological reasons, but the 5 C research method is still the best explanation for people. Most common reasons for indecision about vaccines.

When considering different psychological factors and how they affect people’s choices, we must also pay attention to how different cognitive biases change our views.

Let’s first look at the first and second C, confidence in the vaccine, and whether you are worried about the threat of disease.

Jessica Saleska of the University of California, Los Angeles stated that humans have two seemingly contradictory tendencies: “negative bias” and “optimism bias,” and these two deviations may be Will affect people’s assessment of risks and benefits.

Negative biases are related to your perception of events that you cannot control. “Negative information is generally more ingrained in people’s hearts,” says Saliska. Optimism bias is the opposite. It is about how you think about yourself, whether you feel that you are stronger or healthier than the average person.

These misunderstandings can affect your view of vaccines. You may be more focused on the side effects of vaccines while at the same time believing that you are less likely to contract diseases. The combination of the two reduces our confidence in vaccines and at the same time increases Our sense of security for ourselves.

Then there is the familiar “confirmation bias”, which can distort people’s views on vaccines by exaggerating false information about vaccine risks. If people try to weigh the pros and cons of vaccination by collecting a large amount of information, that is the third mentioned above. A C, then the more people who actively search for information, the less confident they are in vaccines.

If you already think that vaccination is very risky, then you search the Internet for “Is it dangerous to get vaccinations?” It is likely that all you see are information confirming your preconceived views.

These psychological cognitive biases are very common. Even if you receive the vaccine, these cognitive biases can still affect the decisions you make in many other aspects of your life. It is easy to assume that everyone who refuses the vaccine is ignorant and selfish, and does not explore the cognitive bias behind it. This is a cognitive bias in itself.

We also must not forget the many social factors that can affect whether people are vaccinated, that is, the fourth C, restrictions or convenience. Quite simply, if the vaccine is more difficult to obtain, the fewer people will get the vaccine.

Razai said that convenience must be considered when launching vaccines. The more convenient the vaccination, the better. In particular, people should be vaccinated at community centers instead of traveling long distances.

Finally, we also need to understand the considerations behind people’s decisions. For example, structural racism will reduce the trust of certain groups in health authorities. If you don’t understand the difficulties and challenges they encounter in their daily lives, you will be very It is easy to misinterpret their decisions.

What should I do? How can more people be willing to be vaccinated?

There is no easy way, but health authorities can continue to provide easy-to-understand information to explain the safety of vaccines. According to recent research by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, the biggest obstacle to the promotion of the new crown vaccine is still people’s concerns about the side effects of the vaccine and the fear that the vaccine has not been properly tested.

Regardless of how the information is provided, the health authorities need to make it clear that they are willing to open a dialogue, rather than deny them directly. Razai said, “We need to listen to their worries and concerns, try to understand their worries and provide them with information so that they can make decisions.”

Saliska believes that it is very important to have a two-way dialogue. Each of us can do it when we talk about vaccines with friends and family. “Respect each other and acknowledge their concerns. I think this is more important than directly throwing them data and facts. For many people, it is about your personal connection with them, not about you providing their information.”