![]() ![]() “This is a dynamic and changing space, and we don’t have all the answers so, we need to be understanding about the uncertainty people feel,” says Larson. Instead, it might help to simply acknowledge how hard it is to sort through new information when dealing with fear and anxiety, while still reinforcing the importance of vaccines. While helping people understand how these biases work can sometimes make them more open to changing their views, this might be hard to get across in an everyday conversation about vaccines. Still, people tend to pay attention to information that supports their preconceived notions and ignore contrary information (what researchers call confirmation bias) or give negative news more credence than good news ( negativity bias). Offers research-based strategies to support your well-being and help build a culture of gratitude in your organization. It’s probably better to point someone to one strong argument rather than a slew of scientific studies. When presented with multiple counterarguments to their strongly held views, people tend to take on an adversarial stance, spending energy poking holes in your thesis, says researcher Adam Grant. However, overwhelming them with too much information could backfire. For her, it made sense to explain why the vaccines were developed so quickly (because of prior work creating vaccines for similar viruses and international cooperation) as well as how safe they are-something many people may not know. For example, a relative of mine recently expressed concern about the vaccine being “fast-tracked” without sufficient testing of its safety. Though not everyone will be open to that, those who are may appreciate the straightforward information.Īlternatively, if you feel your friend or family member trusts you to give them the straight story, you may want to summarize findings rather than provide detailed studies. In some cases, it may help to provide information addressing someone’s concerns from an unbiased resource, such as the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization. Supply clear information relevant to people’s concerns…but not too much What have you heard?” Making people feel like their concerns matter and are not being dismissed can lower their defenses and help them to listen better themselves. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there. To express empathy, you might say something like this: “It’s understandable that you would have questions about the vaccines. Approach people with respect and dignity, even if you disagree with them. In Larson’s recent book, Stuck: Why Vaccine Rumors Start and Why They Won’t Go Away, she advises a more understanding view around vaccine hesitancy. Research in health care settings suggests that showing empathy can help encourage vaccine adherence, because it increases trust in the messenger. “It’s important to really listen and understand, because maybe somebody has a very reasonable concern and just needs some clear information.” “If you make a lot of assumptions about what people are thinking, then people get annoyed, because your intervention is not relevant to them,” she says. Instead, we should first listen to people’s concerns without judgment, so we can better address their needs, says Heidi Larson, founding director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. While our first inclination to vaccine resistors may be to chastise them or come at them with an arsenal of facts, that’s likely to be ineffective. Here is some of what the science says about approaching someone who is vaccine-hesitant. So, how can we help people overcome their resistance to being vaccinated? While science has no sure-fire answer to this dilemma, research suggests that some approaches may be better than others and could be worth trying-especially if people are on the fence rather than anti-vaccines, in general. Without sufficient numbers of people becoming vaccinated, we won’t reach “herd immunity.” That means the pandemic could continue indefinitely. The fact that people have varying reasons for not getting vaccinated can make it more difficult to get everyone one board, and that affects us all. From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being. ![]()
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