Why freeriding might be a disastrous strategy Individual protection and group benefits Vaccines protect against infection by activating the body's natural immunity. Vaccinations therefore offer direct benefits to the individual who receives the vaccine. However, vaccinations also protect others around the person being vaccinated by reducing the spread of the disease. When enough people are vaccinated against diseases that can be spread from person to person, this creates "herd immunity", which means that even those people who cannot get a vaccine (e.g., because they are too young or have a health condition) are protected because the disease cannot spread when nearly everybody in a population is vaccinated. Vaccinations therefore play a dual role: they protect the person being vaccinated, but they also offer protection to others in society, even people we don't know. Opportunities for altruism and freeriding The dual role of vaccinations opens up an avenue for altruism (Brewer et al., 2017): We may decide to get vaccinated to protect other, weaker members of society. Indeed, when people are reminded of the prosocial consequences of vaccinations, they often become more willing to get vaccinated (Betsch et al., 2017). However, the dual role of vaccinations also creates an opportunity for the opposite response: Some people may decide to become "freeriders" and let others get the vaccine while they get the beneficial effect of herd immunity without being vaccinated. Vaccination decisions thus pose a social dilemma in which the choice to be vaccinated increases the public good by conferring herd immunity, and the choice not to be vaccinated represents freeriding on others’ prosocial actions while also putting oneself and others in danger.
1/13/2023{%hackmd GHtBRFZdTV-X1g8ex-NMQg %} Trust in scientists The contextual and ephemeral nature of trust Trust in scientists has in general increased during the pandemic in several countries, despite claims and concerns about decreasing trust. For example, according to a survey administered via the Corona Spezial Science Barometer, the share of Germans who completely trust scientists doubled between 2019 and November mid-2020, reaching 70% of the German public. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the Open Knowledge Foundation found that 64% of poll respondents were more likely to listen to expert advice from qualified scientists and researchers. However, in the United States, trust in scientists and medical experts has only risen among Democrats according to a Pew Research opinion poll conducted in May 2020. An article posted on Johns Hopkins University's Bloomsberg School of Public Health Experts Insights page reported a similar finding. The article, titled "Trust in Science and COVID-19," discusses findings from an April 2020 national survey, where 89% of Democrats viewed social distancing as very important, relative to 72% of Independents and 66% of Republicans. Relatedly, Americans' willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine varies significantly by underlying partisan and ideological positioning according to Newport's (2020, December) recent article on Gallup's website.
12/6/2022{%hackmd GHtBRFZdTV-X1g8ex-NMQg %} The COVID-19 Vaccine Development Process ..and why you should not worry about it Many people understand the need for a COVID-19 vaccine but have concerns about its safety and effectiveness due to the rapid development of the vaccine and the use of relatively novel mRNA technology. ::: info You can read more about mRNA technology and why it is safe on our dedicated COVID-19 vaccine fact page. :::
12/1/2022{%hackmd GHtBRFZdTV-X1g8ex-NMQg %} [TOC] I am not in danger of COVID-19... or am I? Overview Some people believe that COVID-19 harms only the old or sick, and that healthy, young people are not really in danger of getting sick from it. Although younger people are less at risk than others, this belief is inaccurate and highlights the mismatch between objective risk and subjective risk beliefs. It can also be problematic if it leads to risky behaviors, such as vaccination freeriding or reckless behaviours such as disregarding social distancing and mask wearing (Siegrist & Bearth, 2021). A lower perception of the risks of disease is also associated with lower COVID-19 vaccination intention (Maftei & Holman, 2021). To better understand inaccurate risk beliefs, it will help to disentangle the different potential meanings of not being "at risk." COVID-19 risk has many possible meanings that include:
11/23/2022