Image: Daniel Scharinger
Depending on their vaccination status, people are differently receptive to incentives such as appeals to community spirit, vouchers and serums adapted to current variants. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna report this in the journal “Nature Medicine”.
Background to the study: A team led by Tanja Stamm from the Institute for Outcomes Research at the Medical University of Vienna presented future scenarios with new virus variants, adapted vaccines and incentives and inhibiting factors for immunizations such as compulsory vaccination, premiums and cost sharing to 6,357 people in Austria and Italy. In both countries, 61 percent of study participants had already received three or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 14 percent had been vaccinated once or twice, and 25 percent reported not being vaccinated.
When would you get vaccinated?
The researchers determined under what circumstances people would be vaccinated (again) against Covid-19, and when they were less likely to do so.
This varied greatly depending on the current vaccination status. “People without a first vaccination were not ready for vaccination in almost all scenarios presented”, the scientists report in a broadcast: “Only messages that focused on fighting the pandemic as a joint task showed a weak positive effect on their willingness to vaccinate.” These people would also not be vaccinated more frequently due to government regulations. Such measures would only have a strong negative impact on confidence in vaccines.
When vouchers help
Those who have already received one or two doses of vaccine also showed themselves to be quite tired of the pandemic and vaccination in the surveys. However, positive incentives such as bonuses and vouchers could persuade these people to be vaccinated much more frequently, according to the researchers.
New serums, dangerous variants
The most likely to be ready for another vaccination against Covid-19 are people who have already received three or more of them. Their willingness increases further when sera adapted to new variants are offered, they explain in the specialist publication. The appearance of new, more dangerous virus variants would also cause this.
20 euros for the vaccination? “That would be very inhibitory”
However, if the vaccination costs money, these people often do not convert their positive attitudes into actual behavior, the researchers say. Even moderate costs of 20 euros had a strong inhibiting effect. “Free and easy access to vaccines is therefore likely to remain the mainstay for the success of any vaccination campaign,” they say.
The conclusion
“Our results suggest that campaigns should be differentiated between primary and booster vaccinations,” the experts said. “The most socially responsible way to promote primary vaccinations would be to focus on promoting community spirit rather than relying on more stringent political interventions .” Cash prizes and vouchers would above all increase the willingness to receive booster vaccinations. It is essential to maintain the free provision of vaccines and easy access to vaccination centers.
Source: Nachrichten
