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Understanding how varied appeals and messengers impacts COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ukraine.
HOW YOU CAN USE THIS MATERIAL:
The study findings can help public health, immunisation practitioners, and government agencies to more effectively promote vaccines to a variety of target audiences.
OVERVIEW:
Beginning in February of 2022, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has further exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. During the conflict, vaccine hesitancy sentiments have continued to proliferate on the media platforms that Ukrainians consume, and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines saturate social media channels. The uncertainty of the conflict has only furthered the amount of misinformation and disinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines, leaving many in the country unwilling to accept the vaccine, and the ongoing conflict is likely to further erode the trust in the government and health systems, negatively affecting vaccine uptake. Given the importance of restoring trust in vaccination, this study sought to evaluate three different appeals (health outcomes from COVID-19 infection, vaccination as a social norm, and the economic impact of COVID-19 infection) delivered by two different potential messengers, a healthcare provider compared to a peer, on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Ukraine.
Key Messages
Findings from this study suggest that vaccine appeals focused on health outcomes delivered by healthcare providers are preferred by most individuals in Ukraine; however, individuals are motivated by a myriad of factors suggesting that for vaccine messaging to be most effective, communication should be varied in both appeal and messenger.