With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming widely available in the United States to adults and children over the age of 16 in April 2021 (Anthes et al., 2021), along came a new hope for the eventual suppression of this pandemic. However, due to the compounding political divide amongst Americans in recent years, in addition to other sociocultural and psychological factors, vaccine uptake has been hindered. This is rather unsurprising given that some of these factors have also heavily influenced the public’s adherence to preventative measures against the spread of the virus, specifically the use of face masks and social distancing. 

As of October 2021, 56.5% of the United States population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021, para. 3) and 61.6% of Oregonians have been fully vaccinated (USA Facts, 2021, line 3). Full immunization can be defined as 2 weeks after an individual’s second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine (CDC, 2021, para. 3). The COVID-19 vaccine is effective at offering protection against the virus and reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death (CDC, 2021, para. 5). Why then, do so many eligible people remain vaccine hesitant? 

Vaccine hesitancy can be defined as “the delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services” (MacDonald, 2015, p. 4163). Some of the factors impacting vaccine hesitancy in our current context include social (e.g., lack of access to childcare, transportation, or protected time off work), cultural (e.g., individualistic vs. collectivistic communities, religious beliefs), access to misinformation (e.g., self-selected exposure to media), health literacy (e.g., lack of accessible information appropriate for reading comprehension level, access to reputable sources of information), historical factors (e.g., history of abuse and exploitation of BIPOC populations by medical and scientific communities), and psychological factors (e.g., heuristics, confirmation bias, groupthink, affective states). This is, of course, an expanding area of research. 

Psychologists, particularly those practicing within the subspecialty of health psychology, are in a unique position as social scientists and practitioners to steer efforts and help inform strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and improve public health communications (Freedland et al., 2020). Though psychologists and other mental healthcare providers have been integral to addressing the emotional consequences of the pandemic, there is certainly room for increased involvement in research exploring COVID-related health behaviors and health communications (Freedland et al., 2020). Furthermore, psychologists possess multiple competencies that could expand the understanding of the variety of factors that impact decision making, and help mediate and connect with organizations and communities to facilitate this information. 

More direct applications of these ideas on a smaller scale translate into having direct conversations with clients/patients/consumers about making informed decisions regarding their health, exploring how to communicate with vaccine hesitant family and friends, and utilizing psychological principles to facilitate the informed decision-making process, by identifying barriers, addressing ambivalence, exploring values, and supporting critical thinking. On an organizational scale, psychologists integrated in hospitals, clinics, group practices, and community health settings can work as essential parts of interdisciplinary teams to develop interventions specific to the organization. On a larger, community-based scale, there are opportunities to enhance public education efforts by participating in media interviews, community outreach, and engagement. 

If you would like to become more involved in our community’s public education efforts, OPA’s Public Education Committee welcomes your participation.