Impact of prior COVID-19 infection on perceptions about the benefit and safety of COVID-19 vaccines

Alistair Thorpe; Andrea Gurmankin Levy; Laura D Scherer; Aaron M Scherer; Frank A Drews; Jorie M Butler; Angela Fagerlin

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2023.08.002

Impact of prior COVID-19 infection on perceptions about the benefit and safety of COVID-19 vaccines

Am J Infect Control. 2024 Jan;52(1):125-128. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2023.08.002. Epub 2023 Aug 5.

Authors

Alistair Thorpe¹, Andrea Gurmankin Levy², Laura D Scherer³, Aaron M Scherer⁴, Frank A Drews⁵, Jorie M Butler⁶, Angela Fagerlin⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Education, & Public Service, Middlesex Community College, Middletown, CT.
³ Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO; VA Eastern Colorado, Center of Innovation (COIN), Aurora, CO.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Science, Salt Lake City, UT; Salt Lake City VA Informatics Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center for Innovation, Salt Lake City, UT.
⁶ Salt Lake City VA Informatics Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center for Innovation, Salt Lake City, UT; Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT; Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
⁷ Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Salt Lake City VA Informatics Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center for Innovation, Salt Lake City, UT.

Abstract

In this online survey of 1,733 US adults in December 2021, respondents believed COVID-19 vaccines are less beneficial and less safe for someone who had already had COVID-19. Those who experienced COVID-19 after being vaccinated believed that the vaccines are less beneficial and less safe than those who had not. Findings highlight the need to better communicate evolving evidence of COVID-19 vaccine benefit and safety and to tailor communications to peoples' COVID-19 history and vaccination status.

Keywords: Attitudes towards vaccines; Health behavior; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccine uptake.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19 Vaccines* / adverse effects
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Communication
Humans
Vaccination / adverse effects
Vaccines*

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines
Vaccines

Grants and funding

K01 AG065440/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States