Startseite 29 It’s Complicated . . . : Exploring Vaccination Attitudes and the Vaccination Infodemic in the UK throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic
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29 It’s Complicated . . . : Exploring Vaccination Attitudes and the Vaccination Infodemic in the UK throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Audra Diers-Lawson
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Communicating Risk and Safety
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Communicating Risk and Safety

Abstract

In 2019, the United Kingdom (UK) lost its “measles free” status because of lower inoculation rates, which led to regional outbreaks of measles (New Scientist 2020). At its heart, the global anti-vaccination movement represents a fundamental challenge for risk and safety communication. However, with nearly 80% of its adults vaccinated against COVID-19 (Taylor 2021), it would seem that the UK has reduced its vaccine hesitancy. Unfortunately, there is little evidence regarding how vaccine attitudes have changed across the pandemic anywhere, let alone in the UK. Additionally, while the topic of information consumption has been central to the risk and safety communication endeavor throughout the pandemic (Allington et al. 2021), it is not clear whether the pandemic has changed Brits’ attitudes about vaccine consumption either. Because of the high British death rates throughout COVID and its emergent focus on a strategy of persuading its population to get the COVID-19 vaccination above all other risk mitigation efforts, the world has been watching the UK (Taylor 2021). Therefore, data compare the ways that Brits evaluate vaccine attitudes and attitudes about information consumption in a repeated-measures design from before the pandemic (January 2020) and two points during the pandemic - just before the COVID vaccines were available (October/November 2020) and after most people had access to the vaccines (May 2021). Findings indicate: (1) the pandemic has worsened vaccine attitudes in the UK; (2) the pandemic has created conditions of health uncertainty; (3) the pandemic has changed trust in three critical sources of health information; and (4) exposure to pro- and anti-vaccine messages over time affect information processing and judgments of vaccine information. As a result, over time people found it more difficult to recognize pro- and anti-vaccination messages found anti-vaccination messages more believable. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Abstract

In 2019, the United Kingdom (UK) lost its “measles free” status because of lower inoculation rates, which led to regional outbreaks of measles (New Scientist 2020). At its heart, the global anti-vaccination movement represents a fundamental challenge for risk and safety communication. However, with nearly 80% of its adults vaccinated against COVID-19 (Taylor 2021), it would seem that the UK has reduced its vaccine hesitancy. Unfortunately, there is little evidence regarding how vaccine attitudes have changed across the pandemic anywhere, let alone in the UK. Additionally, while the topic of information consumption has been central to the risk and safety communication endeavor throughout the pandemic (Allington et al. 2021), it is not clear whether the pandemic has changed Brits’ attitudes about vaccine consumption either. Because of the high British death rates throughout COVID and its emergent focus on a strategy of persuading its population to get the COVID-19 vaccination above all other risk mitigation efforts, the world has been watching the UK (Taylor 2021). Therefore, data compare the ways that Brits evaluate vaccine attitudes and attitudes about information consumption in a repeated-measures design from before the pandemic (January 2020) and two points during the pandemic - just before the COVID vaccines were available (October/November 2020) and after most people had access to the vaccines (May 2021). Findings indicate: (1) the pandemic has worsened vaccine attitudes in the UK; (2) the pandemic has created conditions of health uncertainty; (3) the pandemic has changed trust in three critical sources of health information; and (4) exposure to pro- and anti-vaccine messages over time affect information processing and judgments of vaccine information. As a result, over time people found it more difficult to recognize pro- and anti-vaccination messages found anti-vaccination messages more believable. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction: Unique Challenges and Opportunities in Communicating Risk and Safety 1
  5. Section 1: Fundamental Principles and Perspectives When Communicating Risk and Safety
  6. 2 Communicating Safety and Risk: Advancement of a Field in Constant Uncertainty 13
  7. 3 Communicating with Numbers: Challenges and Potential Solutions 33
  8. 4 Translating Data into Intelligible Risk and Safety Guidelines 57
  9. 5 Disaster Fatigue, Communication, and Resilience: Insights from Natural Hazards, Human-Caused Disasters, and Public Health Crises 77
  10. 6 The COVID-19 Pandemic as Exemplar of the Chaos of Mega-Crises 97
  11. Section 2: Rhetorical Considerations When Communicating Risk and Safety
  12. 7 Rhetorical Sensitivity and Crisis and Risk Communication: Extension of a Theory 111
  13. 8 Emotions in Risk and Crisis Communication: An Individual and Networked Perspective 123
  14. 9 Narratives in Collision: Crisis and Pragmatic Dialogic Learning 143
  15. 10 Applying Dialogic Theory to Risk and Problem Solving 159
  16. 11 Embracing Dialogue While Cultivating Convergence: Organizational Challenges in Responsibly Communicating Risk 179
  17. 12 The Function of Stasis in Risk and Safety Controversies 197
  18. Section 3: Ethical Dilemmas When Communicating Risk and Safety
  19. 13 Risk Communication: A Communication Ethics Perspective 219
  20. 14 The Ethic of First and Second Things in Communicating Risk and Safety 237
  21. 15 Ethical Obligations in Communicating Risk and Safety: Standards of Dialogue, Uncertainty, Change, and Truthfulness 255
  22. Section 4: Cultural Imperatives When Communicating Risk and Safety
  23. 16 Culture-centered Approach to Risk Communication 269
  24. 17 “All Knowledge Is Local”: The PEN-3 Model as a Guide to Overcoming Western/ European Bias in Risk Communication about Global Health Concerns in East Africa 285
  25. 18 Communities of Practice Approach to Safety Communication 301
  26. Section 5: Instructional Perspectives and Compliance-Gaining When Communicating Risk and Safety
  27. 19 Instruction as Self-Protection 321
  28. 20 Mobile Instructional Communication for Public Safety and Community Resilience 339
  29. 21 From Risks to Crisis Society: The Drivers of the Public Health Communication Paradigm Shift 359
  30. 22 Earthquake Risk Communication of Individual Protective Actions for Big Earthquakes: A Situational Choreography Model Based on Social Communication Engineering 379
  31. Section 6: Media and Technological Considerations When Communicating Risk and Safety
  32. 23 Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model 413
  33. 24 Understanding Contemporary Infodemics through the Risk Amplification through Media Spread (RAMS) Model 453
  34. 25 Spotting Risks: How to Integrate Social Media Listening to a Framework of Assessing Risks 473
  35. 26 Emergent Organizations and Post-Disaster Risk: Volunteerism in the Digital Age 493
  36. 27 Communicating and Perceiving Risks of Artificial Intelligence as an Emerging Technology 503
  37. Section 7: Future Considerations: Untangling Issues of (Mis)Trust When Communicating Risk and Safety
  38. 28 The Role of Trust and Distrust in Risk and Safety Communication 529
  39. 29 It’s Complicated . . . : Exploring Vaccination Attitudes and the Vaccination Infodemic in the UK throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic 551
  40. 30 Communicating to Mitigate Behavioral Cyber Risks: The Case of Employee Vulnerability 585
  41. 31 Building or Unbuilding Trust? A Reflection on Governments, News Media, and Businesses’ Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic 607
  42. Contributors 627
  43. Index 637
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110752427-029

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction: Unique Challenges and Opportunities in Communicating Risk and Safety 1
  5. Section 1: Fundamental Principles and Perspectives When Communicating Risk and Safety
  6. 2 Communicating Safety and Risk: Advancement of a Field in Constant Uncertainty 13
  7. 3 Communicating with Numbers: Challenges and Potential Solutions 33
  8. 4 Translating Data into Intelligible Risk and Safety Guidelines 57
  9. 5 Disaster Fatigue, Communication, and Resilience: Insights from Natural Hazards, Human-Caused Disasters, and Public Health Crises 77
  10. 6 The COVID-19 Pandemic as Exemplar of the Chaos of Mega-Crises 97
  11. Section 2: Rhetorical Considerations When Communicating Risk and Safety
  12. 7 Rhetorical Sensitivity and Crisis and Risk Communication: Extension of a Theory 111
  13. 8 Emotions in Risk and Crisis Communication: An Individual and Networked Perspective 123
  14. 9 Narratives in Collision: Crisis and Pragmatic Dialogic Learning 143
  15. 10 Applying Dialogic Theory to Risk and Problem Solving 159
  16. 11 Embracing Dialogue While Cultivating Convergence: Organizational Challenges in Responsibly Communicating Risk 179
  17. 12 The Function of Stasis in Risk and Safety Controversies 197
  18. Section 3: Ethical Dilemmas When Communicating Risk and Safety
  19. 13 Risk Communication: A Communication Ethics Perspective 219
  20. 14 The Ethic of First and Second Things in Communicating Risk and Safety 237
  21. 15 Ethical Obligations in Communicating Risk and Safety: Standards of Dialogue, Uncertainty, Change, and Truthfulness 255
  22. Section 4: Cultural Imperatives When Communicating Risk and Safety
  23. 16 Culture-centered Approach to Risk Communication 269
  24. 17 “All Knowledge Is Local”: The PEN-3 Model as a Guide to Overcoming Western/ European Bias in Risk Communication about Global Health Concerns in East Africa 285
  25. 18 Communities of Practice Approach to Safety Communication 301
  26. Section 5: Instructional Perspectives and Compliance-Gaining When Communicating Risk and Safety
  27. 19 Instruction as Self-Protection 321
  28. 20 Mobile Instructional Communication for Public Safety and Community Resilience 339
  29. 21 From Risks to Crisis Society: The Drivers of the Public Health Communication Paradigm Shift 359
  30. 22 Earthquake Risk Communication of Individual Protective Actions for Big Earthquakes: A Situational Choreography Model Based on Social Communication Engineering 379
  31. Section 6: Media and Technological Considerations When Communicating Risk and Safety
  32. 23 Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model 413
  33. 24 Understanding Contemporary Infodemics through the Risk Amplification through Media Spread (RAMS) Model 453
  34. 25 Spotting Risks: How to Integrate Social Media Listening to a Framework of Assessing Risks 473
  35. 26 Emergent Organizations and Post-Disaster Risk: Volunteerism in the Digital Age 493
  36. 27 Communicating and Perceiving Risks of Artificial Intelligence as an Emerging Technology 503
  37. Section 7: Future Considerations: Untangling Issues of (Mis)Trust When Communicating Risk and Safety
  38. 28 The Role of Trust and Distrust in Risk and Safety Communication 529
  39. 29 It’s Complicated . . . : Exploring Vaccination Attitudes and the Vaccination Infodemic in the UK throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic 551
  40. 30 Communicating to Mitigate Behavioral Cyber Risks: The Case of Employee Vulnerability 585
  41. 31 Building or Unbuilding Trust? A Reflection on Governments, News Media, and Businesses’ Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic 607
  42. Contributors 627
  43. Index 637
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Heruntergeladen am 3.11.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110752427-029/html
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