1. DISEASE OUTBREAK & PUBLIC OPINION:
HOW THE MEASLES OUTBREAK IMPACTED PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF CHILDHOOD VACCINES
Michael A. Cacciatore
Glen Nowak
Nate Evans
Department of Advertising & Public Relations
Grady College
University of Georgia
International Crisis & Risk Conference
Orlando, FL
March, 2016

2. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS
Vaccination intentions tied to confidence and concerns/hesitancy that parents have in vaccinations
Growing vaccine hesitancy has been associated with an increases in parents delaying or declining vaccines for their children
The result has been an noticeable increase in cases of vaccine-preventable illness in recent years

3. THE MEASLES OUTBREAK

4. POSSIBLE OUTBREAK IMPACTS ON PARENTAL ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS
Fear appeals: Messages used to arouse fear in the audience before providing a suggestive form of action
Health Belief Model: Behaviors are determined by threat perceptions along with strategies to mitigate the threat
Did the outbreak increase confidence in vaccines, concerns about under-vaccinations, and future vaccination intentions by highlighting a threat (Measles) and a coping strategy (vaccination)?

5. A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
METHODOLOGY:
A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Data:
Pair of YouGov surveys surrounding the measles outbreak
Response rates of 36.3% and 32.7%
Parents (N = 1,000 across each survey) with at least one child age 5 or younger
Analysis:
Regressions predicting vaccine confidence, concerns and future intentions
Interactions to examine outbreak impacts among different population groups

6. RESULTS: VACCINE CONFIDENCE
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7. RESULTS: CONCERN THAT A VACCINE MIGHT NOT PREVENT THE DISEASE** **
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8. RESULTS: DIFFERENTIAL OUTBREAK EFFECTS BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS AND INTEREST

9. RESULTS: CONCERN THAT WERE MY CHILD
NOT VACCINATED THEY WOULD BE AT RISK
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10. RESULTS: DIFFERENTIAL OUTBREAK EFFECTS BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS AND INTEREST

11. RESULTS: FUTURE VACCINATION INTENTIONS
Multinomial logistic regression findings:
No overall impacts of outbreak (i.e., pre- vs. post-outbreak)
White respondents more likely to report positive future vaccination intentions
Child’s current vaccination status positively predicts future intentions, as does interest in the issue of vaccines

12. Has your child received the recommended vaccines to date?
Vaccine Interest?
Plan on having child receive recommended vaccines?
Pre-outbreak
Post-outbreak
None or Some
Low No
35.3%
38.6%
Unsure
27.2%
25.0%
Yes
37.5%
36.4%
None or some
High No
20.0%
37.0%
Unsure
32.2%
11.1%
Yes
47.8%
51.9%
All
Low No
3.1%
10.3%
Unsure
8.1%
12.3%
Yes
88.8%
77.4%
All
High No
5.3%
5.8%
Unsure
4.3%
4.8%
Yes
90.3%
89.4%

13. THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
TAKE-HOME MESSAGES:
THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
Some clear patterns in vaccine perceptions
Education, interest and child’s current vaccination status were largely stable predictors of parental vaccine attitudes
The outbreak itself was more complicated
Vaccine confidence increased from Time 1 to Time 2, mostly among those most interested in vaccines
However, concerns that vaccines might not prevent the disease increased as well

14. THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
TAKE-HOME MESSAGES:
THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
The outbreak had differential impacts on respondents based on their current vaccination behaviors and their interest in the topic
Some evidence that getting parent’s who are not up-to-date with the child vaccination schedule interested in the topic can lead to more favorable vaccine attitudes
However …

15. THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
TAKE-HOME MESSAGES:
THE CASE OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
… this did NOT necessarily translate into positive future vaccination intentions
Rather, it made parents more certain, with many showing a decreased intention to vaccinate their children in the future

16. COMMUNICATING ABOUT VACCINES
TAKE-HOME MESSAGES:
COMMUNICATING ABOUT VACCINES
Crisis and risk communicators:
Highly visible outbreaks can positively affect awareness, intentions and support for public health measures
But, communicators should NOT assume that high media visibility equals universal awareness of the outbreak and recommended preventive measures
Some of the people who closely followed news of the outbreak might still be opposed to accepting recommended measures

17. THANK YOU!
Questions?
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