Public misperceptions of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and waning: experimental evidence from Ireland.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The study set out to measure public understanding of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) and how effectiveness wanes with time since vaccination. Because perceived VE is a strong predictor of vaccine uptake, measuring perceptions can inform public health policy and communications.

Study design

Online randomised experiment.

Methods

The study was undertaken in Ireland, which has high vaccination rates. A nationally representative sample (n = 2000) responded to a scenario designed to measure perceptions of COVID-19 VE against mortality. The length of time since vaccination in the scenario was randomly varied across four treatment arms (2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months).

Results

The public underestimates VE, with substantial variation in percept

SUBMITTER: Lunn PD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9650565 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature