New Geisinger study examines factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Eastern Pennsylvania

Submitted by Psi_in_PA t3_111gcv7 in Pennsylvania

What is the background for this study?

Response: Vaccine hesitancy is a major driver of COVID-19 vaccination disparities between minority and non-Hispanic White communities. Our goal was to understand what factors influenced vaccine hesitancy among individuals in Eastern Pennsylvania to identify more effective ways to promote vaccine uptake within minority communities.

What are the main findings?

Response: We found that the most influential factors on vaccine hesitancy were being younger than 45 years old, identifying as a minority, being concerned the COVID-19 vaccine was ineffective, lack of knowledge about the vaccine, and believing that infection with the COVID-19 virus is not serious. However, unlike similar studies, our analysis indicated that education level was not a significant contributor to hesitancy.

What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The COVID-19 vaccines are an effective preventive measure in minimizing risk of complications from the continually evolving COVID-19 virus. Understanding why African American and Hispanic communities are more hesitant toward receiving COVID-19 vaccines and boosters is critical to reducing the COVID-19 related health disparities, such as increased risk of death or hospitalization, faced by these communities.

What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Our study contained a large proportion of vaccine acceptant and non-Hispanic White participants. To better understand the drivers of vaccine hesitancy among minority communities, a more targeted approach should be used to increase participation from vaccine hesitant, minority community members.

Free full-text is available here.

Citation:

Colvin et al. Profiles of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by race and ethnicity in eastern Pennsylvania. PLoS One 2023; 18(2):e0280245. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36745588/

15

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

ZebZ t1_j8f6av2 wrote

It doesn't look like the results are further broken down into actual useful things like urban/rural or include factors like political beliefs or how they primarily consume news, income or whether they had to work a frontline job.

Saying "Black populations have vaccine hesitancy" isn't anything new. We've known that for awhile.

5

Dredly t1_j8g5mh2 wrote

It shows that there was an extreme bias in the sample size, with 70% of the applicants being listed as minorities, and 75% being "under 45"

2

Psi_in_PA OP t1_j8fk7w9 wrote

Good points! This other study by some of the same folks also looked at those factors although their results (Republican leaning and Fox "News" viewing) seem pretty obvious now.

0

Dredly t1_j8g4w7k wrote

Uhh... their study is garbage based entirely on the volume and make up. They cannot get to any statistical significant findings by looking at this group of people's opinions. This is in no way a relevant sample sizing of any area. How do I know this is a total bullshit study? The makeup of it, for "Eastern PA", 29.4% white, 38% black, 27% Hispanic. there is no county in PA that even comes close to that demographic make up.

​

so implying that "under 45, and minority" is a qualifier of anything is fucking nonsense. They also have a nonsense age range "under 45" or "over 45"... why? because their numbers are shit so they had to grab something that encompassed enough people to make a headline. Only 25% of the people were over 45... there is no way it could have resulted in anything other then a headline of "younger are more skeptical" when 3/4 of your group is younger.

​

I would also like to point out that across PA, the more urban the area the better the vax rate. More urban areas also have a higher percentage of minorities, and youth. while extremely white areas with older populations and under-educated populations are the lowest on the vax rating.

​

Lets look at REAL reasoning show we?

​

Potter County, Bradford County, Bedford County, Juniata County, and Fulton County are the worst... all have the worst percentages... and they have LESS THEN 1000 black people living in them TOTAL, like all combined total. these are insane republican strongholds... like 80%+ voted for Oz/Mastriano

​

Where does Vaccine Hesitancy come from? Far right news media. All the extremely clear evidence points directly to a crystal clear link between republican / conservative news media consumption and vaccine hesitancy

5

300blakeout t1_j8ft35p wrote

Everyone I know who got the shot/boosters have also got covid. Symptoms varied. Everyone has survived regardless of being vaccinated/boosted or not.

3

ronreadingpa t1_j8gtndx wrote

Groupthink is strong here. You're absolutely correct! Even the manufacturers publicly mentioned early on that the vaccines weren't tested for whether they were sterilizing (preventing spread) and that their main purpose was reducing severity of symptoms.

So, it's no surprise many still caught it. Some debate whether the vaccines reduced symptoms, but that's another discussion. For those in high-risk groups (ie. over the age of 60-70), the general medical consensus is it's worthwhile getting the shots regardless.

The bigger question is whether young people, especially males, should get the shots. Many differing positions on that with some health agencies taking a more nuanced approach. One can search the web for more details.

Again, as you observe, none of the vaccines were intended to stop spread. Many news sources and politicians, including the CDC (lost a lot of credibility), oversold what the vaccines were tested and intended for. Reducing severity of symptoms. That's it.

4

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8i5pif wrote

> The bigger question is whether young people, especially males, should get the shots.

 
This isn't a question at all, everybody should, and your angle here is obvious when you don't state a reason for young males to not get the shots.
 
Everyone should get them. It should just be understood that the vaccines make you less likely to get extremely sick, and that high risk people (overweight, diabetes, > 60, etc) are still high risk and should take care to limit their exposure, vaccinated or not.

−2

ronreadingpa t1_j8jjbdt wrote

All vaccinations come with risks. Health authorities recognize this. The tradeoff for young people, in particular males, is questionable. Read up more on the subject. The "everyone should" stance isn't helpful and counterproductive. As with many things, there's nuance. To ignore that erodes public confidence of health authorities.

2

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8joi6l wrote

> All vaccinations come with risks.
 

This is not a meaningful statement.
 

No one is suggesting that young males not get a regular regimen of childhood vaccinations. Every male in America has gotten their CDC-recommended regimen of vaccinations, and all states require this to enter primary school.
 
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

 
You are only suggesting that young males not get this vaccine. You are only saying "vaccines have risks!" (that we're not invoking for other vaccines) and that I should "read up more on the subject," that's why I'm saying your angle here is obvious bullshit. If you had a real reason why young people (especially males) should not get it, you'd just post it.

 

There is zero reason for anyone, including young males, to not get the Covid vaccine. It is not perfect but the benefits outweigh the risks, just like any vaccine.

−1

Zenith2017 t1_j8igmry wrote

I super hope you don't take this anecdote to be representative of everyone

1

300blakeout t1_j8iip77 wrote

Seems to be most people’s experience I’ve spoken to about it. Haven’t heard any different with people I know across the US. The only people who say otherwise have been unknown internet folk, such as yourself. Seems to be a strange pattern here. I have yet to meet someone who regrets not getting it, however, many I know do… also something to think about. Take care.

0

Zenith2017 t1_j8infps wrote

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

1

300blakeout t1_j8kz63c wrote

Im being nice. A lot of people. A lot of health practitioners. Science minded individuals that I met when getting a health science degree. Not magic the gathering pot smokers that think they have a clue. It’s easier to be fooled than to be convinced you’ve been fooled. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

0

Zenith2017 t1_j8l2qp6 wrote

If you're trying to claim that your anecdotes outweigh the combined research might of the health community for two years I have a bridge to sell you

Oh, I checked in and played the profile game, back to your turn. Conspiracy theorist and gun nut, great combination

1

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8i5izx wrote

The vaccines are a net good but the CDC outright lied to people and told them that the vaccines would A> make them immune to covid, and B> keep them from spreading covid.
 
They couldn't have fucked up their own credibility harder if they tried.

0

Deadendbend t1_j8ipuwp wrote

Exactly. Fool me once …. The people that were getting it got it and the t shirt to tell everyone. Those that don’t have it, aren’t getting it.

−1

motobudtender t1_j8ii8me wrote

What’s crazy is I have NEVER been involved in one of these studies… ever… yet these people make generalizations about me? Seems shady.

1

decrementsf t1_j8fco59 wrote

Car dealerships have voluminous research related to this on what makes prey accept a used car when they wander into the kill box.

Turns out pattern recognition of emotion-laden language and aggressive shut-down of open dialogue associate those behaviors with frauds and charlatans. For some segment of the population, turn up the volume to 11 and they will comply. For others they have the opposite reaction and you lose them forever.

This is the way of the COVID experience. Landed the segment of the population who turn to news for cultural and emotional guidance. Lost the actuaries, engineers, and statisticians who tend to live in the messy data and crunch the numbers looking for deeper analysis. Those with professional experience, or have seen a fraud or two, intuited deviation from sound methodology.

Cutting corners for expediency through emotion-laden messaging comes at too high a cost to be useful. The strategy destroys trust and reduces overall acceptance. You can goose the difficult process of communication by using these tactics in good faith. The cost is you signal a potential fraud, regardless of your intentions.

−2

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8i65c3 wrote

"Engineers" are dumb as fuck outside of their area of expertise, same as everyone else.

0

decrementsf t1_j8ic3gs wrote

Not in my experience. Grounding methods for thinking on how things work forces you to connect ideas anchored in reality. You do not get the wild unreproducible takes seen out of the Humanities, where they are happy to manipulate their data to fit the story they wish to tell. Engineers on average have a skill-set that allows them to adopt new fields that can produce things of value at a faster rate than most.

1

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8icjip wrote

> You do not get the wild unreproducible takes seen out of the Humanities, where they are happy to manipulate their data to fit the story they wish to tell.

 
Scientists manipulated the data on smoking and lung cancer for the better part of a century.
 
Engineers manipulated the data on tetraethyl lead in automobile gasoline for the better part of a century.
 
Those are just two examples that spring to mind of "wild unreproducible takes" out of the non-Humanities.
 

Your experience is incredibly naive and you sound like an engineering undergrad who's actually taking the professional pride bullshit seriously.

1

decrementsf t1_j8iihd7 wrote

Engineers are not equal to corruption. You're describing unethical management decisions.

Coming from the perspective of a decade in corporate.

1

69FunnyNumberGuy420 t1_j8iipcm wrote

Ah, when engineers and scientists make shit up, it's somebody else's fault. Got it. Not at all like those dumb humanities majors.
 
How many years into your undergrad are you?

1