Researchers discover vaccine hesitancy changes over time

By Catherine Morrow

Researchers from the Rollins School of Public Health recently published a paper in JAMAthat explores how individuals overcome vaccine hesitancy, which has been a major driver of continual spread of COVID-19. Aaron Siegler (first author), Travis Sanchez, Benjamin Lopman,and Patrick Sullivan found that over one-third of vaccine-hesitant persons at baseline received a COVID-19 vaccine at follow-up three months later.

Therefore, researchers say that policy makers and health care workers must not look at vaccine hesitancy as a stable trait that people have, but rather as a stance that changes over time. Public health efforts need to focus on this and capitalize on the willingness to be vaccinated when people are ready.