In 2021, ten years after the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy is still a major problem. COVID-19 has pushed it to its peak, and the ability of people to accept vaccination is crucial to managing the pandemic. , the numbers aren’t very encouraging as a percentage of populations are unwilling to vaccinate.
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The most common reason for vaccine hesitancy is mistrust in vaccine safety and concern over adverse vaccine events.
Vaccines can be given to healthy people in order to protect them from future diseases. Vaccines are given to healthy people who may be concerned about their safety because they were at that time in good health.
A team of researchers from Concordia University who specialize in business analytics and artificial intelligence, as well as a professor at McGill University who specializes in epidemiology, have published a paper that examines this issue from two different perspectives.
We first addressed vaccine safety concerns through the analysis of data from systems that track vaccine adverse events. The plans are designed to monitor, record, and store adverse events that occur after immunization. The system used in Canada is the Canadian Immunization Adverse Event Surveillance (CAEFISS.
We then focused on cognitive science, highlighting the role of cognitive biases that can lead to vaccine hesitation.
Validating vaccine safety through data-driven evidence
Ontario Premier Doug Ford visits a vaccine center in Windsor, Ont. The most common reasons for vaccine hesitation are distrust in vaccine safety and concern over adverse vaccine events. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Geoff Robins
providing evidence-based, meaningful information about adverse events and vaccine safety is one way to reduce distrust. This is what we did and analyzed the U.S. negative event reports. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
Over the eight years from 2011-2018, we analyzed nearly 294,000 reports. This is approximately 115 vaccine reports per million, which covers 87 different types of vaccines. Most frequently reported were vaccines for pneumococcal bacteria, chickenpox, and influenza.
Every VAERS report (representing an incident) included three adverse events on average, with the most common ones being rashes and fever. Only 5.5% of the reports had been deemed serious. These included hospitalizations, disabilities, and threats to life or health. In this group, the most common adverse reactions include headaches, nausea, fever, and pain.
Canada Vigilance was also used to analyze the adverse reactions reported by vaccines. Our findings were in line with the VAERS.
Our results are available in an interactive dashboard. This dashboard can be used by healthcare professionals and other people involved in vaccine communications to communicate evidence-based information. According to research, summarized information is the most effective format for sharing safety information. Using this dashboard as part of vaccination communication will help reduce vaccine hesitancy and safety concerns and increase trust in vaccines.
The role of cognitive biases and vaccine hesitancy
After addressing the concerns regarding vaccine adverse reactions, the second part examined the role cognitive biases play in vaccine hesitancy. We identified cognitive biases that could affect vaccine decision-making and communication.