This really amazes me. You'd think older people would know better by now and would need no urging to get their COVID vaccines. My father sure didn't need persuading, and neither did I. But of course, we grew up with common sense, not conspiracy theories, and we remember polio.
A doctor below says, "Many humans, especially those who already have concerns and distrust systems, don't like being told what to do,” Again, when you hear of thousands of people dying horribly, you are usually grateful to have a chance to get vaccinated and avoid the alternative.
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Describing vaccines in terms of freedom can lead some hesitant older adults to accept COVID shots, study finds
Liz Szabo, MA, CIDRAP, April 2, 2026
"Vaccine-hesitant older adults were more willing to accept
hypothetical COVID shots when they were described as way to preserve
their freedom and autonomy rather than as an action that complies with
government recommendations, a new study finds.
"In an experiment in
which 907 participants were asked to rate their willingness to get a
hypothetical COVID shot, many people concerned about vaccine safety
responded favorably when researchers framed COVID vaccination as a way
to maintain their freedom from disease and avoid restrictions on
activities caused by illness.
"Participants responded to an online
survey about their concerns and beliefs about COVID shots, as well as
their willingness to receive hypothetical vaccines with varying levels
of effectiveness and side effects. Hypothetical vaccine choices were
accompanied by additional reasons to vaccinate, including “personal
freedom to do what you want to do,” “help prevent spread of disease,”
and “comply with government recommendations.”
"People
with vaccine concerns were 6.3 percentage points more likely to say
they would accept a COVID shot if the survey listed autonomy as a
benefit than if the survey mentioned government recommendations,
according to the study, which was conducted in 2024 and published this week in JAMA Network Open.
"Talking about freedom also appealed to adults who believe misinformation
about COVID shots, such as the false claim that vaccination will alter
their DNA or implant microchips in their bodies. This group was 4.6
percentage points more likely to say they would agree to a COVID shot
when hearing how vaccines could protect their liberty.
"Among
people without serious concerns or misconceptions about COVID shots,
so-called “freedom framing” didn’t change their willingness to be
vaccinated, according to the study, led by researchers at the University
of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business. The average age of people
in the study was 70. About 90% of participants were white. Political
party affiliation was equally dived among Democrats, Republicans, and
independents.
"Framing immunization as a way to protect others was
associated with increased vaccine acceptance regardless of participants’
feelings about COVID shots.
“These findings suggest that
non-authority-based message framing may influence stated vaccine
acceptance,” the authors wrote in the study, noting that their finding
has “implications for both targeted and broadly applicable communication
strategies.”
Working to promote vaccination
"Although
COVID shots have saved millions of lives, doctors and public health
advocates have struggled to persuade people to be vaccinated. And while
people age 65 or older have the highest risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 of any group, only 22% are up to date on COVID vaccines.
"Some
public health advocates say they’re happy to have more evidence about
how to talk to people with different views on vaccines.
“I'm
really glad work like this is being published,” said Elisabeth Marnik,
PhD, an immunologist and executive director of The Evidence Collective, a
group of scientists and clinicians helping communities combat health
misinformation. “Oftentimes, it feels like we are multiple steps behind
in figuring out what framing actually is beneficial. This paper gives us
great insights, and also highlights areas where we could benefit from
additional investment.”
"Marnik said she uses freedom framing when talking to people who are hesitant about vaccination.
“Many
humans, especially those who already have concerns and distrust
systems, don't like being told what to do,” said Marnik, who wasn’t
involved in the new research. “I have found authoritarian framing
usually shuts down conversations, or results in them digging in their
heels around the decision to not vaccinate.”
"Marnik said it’s important to listen to people’s concerns about vaccines.
“There is a lot of value in varying communication styles and knowing who your audience is,” Marnik said.
Language can bias how people view vaccines
"But
some public health experts say freedom framing may be less influential
in the real world than in the study, in which people were asked about
hypothetical scenarios.
"Jess Steier, DrPH, founder and CEO of
Unbiased Science, which provides evidence-based answers to pressing
questions in public health, called the increases in vaccine acceptance
related to freedom framing “pretty modest.”
"Steier said the language used in the study may have biased some participants’ responses.
“The
‘comply with government recommendations’ framing is so explicitly
compliance-oriented that it almost primes reactance on its own, which
could artificially inflate how well freedom framing performs by
contrast,” said Steier, who was also not involved in the new research.
"When
designing vaccination campaigns for a diverse audience, public health
advocates may have the best overall success by pitching COVID shots as a
way to protect others, Steier said, because that message seemed to
appeal to everyone.
Trust matters when talking about vaccines
"The new study was conducted before Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched a wide-ranging assault
on vaccines, and stopped recommending COVID vaccines for healthy
children and pregnant women, who are at higher risk. Although a federal
judge has put many of Kennedy’s policies on hold, surveys show that misinformation spread by the Trump administration is shaping public attitudes about health.
"Given
the tectonic shifts in federal vaccine policy over the past year,
people today may feel differently about COVID shots than they did two
years ago, said David Higgins, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz, who was not involved in the new research.
"Trust in federal health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has fallen sharply since 2024, according to a study released in March
from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Americans have more confidence in career scientists at those agencies
and organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, than they
do the federal agency chiefs.
"The new vaccine study, which
included older adults, also may not help health care providers talk to
younger people, including parents of small children, Higgins added.
“No
single message works for all parents,” Higgins said. “Providing more
information or trying to correct misconceptions alone often doesn’t
change behavior and can even backfire. Trust in the messenger,
relationships, and how messages are delivered are all important.”
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