Why Poles do not want to vaccinate? The social psychologist answers

The first vaccinations against COVID-19 in Poland started in December 2020 and included the so-called group 0, i.e. medical personnel. It will be a year from now, and vaccination has now become commonplace and has become available to all age groups. Despite this, we currently have a little over 19 million people fully vaccinated, which is approx. 50 percent. all Poles. This is still too little to talk about herd immunity. Why are we so reluctant to join free vaccinations, which are currently the only chance to win the coronavirus pandemic?

1. The rate of vaccination against COVID-19 in Poland is declining
2. Some Poles are strongly against taking a preparation that protects against a severe course of the disease
3. Incentives in the form of lotteries with prizes or spots with celebrities do not help. This does not surprise the social psychologist prof. dr. hab. Wojciech Cwalina
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Reluctance to vaccinate – reasons

The results of the survey organized by the Inquiry agency showed that more than 50 percent. Poles are afraid of vaccination against COVID-19. Moreover, this tendency grows with successive months, instead of decreasing. You can see it in the daily statistics at a glance.

Where do we get information about vaccinations?

1. Private TV stations – 35%;
2. Information portals – 29 percent;
3. Public television – 26 percent;

Interestingly (and deeply disturbing), Poles have the least confidence in doctors and scientists. This is especially true in the 18-24 age group. And it is in this part of the population that the lowest number of vaccinations is observed.

1. Check also: The pandemic “gives birth” to accelerated seniors – this is the result of the long tail of COVID-19

What are the reasons for the reluctance to vaccinate?

1. Fear of the lack of vaccine safety – 52%;
2. Fear of the appearance of unknown side effects – 51%;
3. Too quick introduction of the vaccine to the market / lack of long-term safety tests – 48%;
4. Lack of trust in pharmaceutical companies – 33 percent;
5. Reluctance to vaccinate against viral diseases – 27%;
6. The risk of an allergic reaction – 24%;

The decrease in the number of vaccinations may also be due to a simple psychological mechanism of habituation, i.e. habituation – the reaction of the disappearance of the response as a result of continuous exposure to the same stimulus. Every day we are informed about new cases, new mutations of the virus appear, we listen to experts’ statements, which makes the topic, simply put, very common and we do not react to it with such a strong fear as at the beginning of the pandemic.

– The phenomenon of reluctance to vaccinate is a global phenomenon. Duration is one factor. It is completely natural for a person to get used to even the most difficult situations. Something that used to be a big anxiety-inducing stimulus is not that strong over time. The second thing is that the epidemic is undulating. The decrease in the number of infections is calming the public. Nevertheless, anxiety prevails among the vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. In the first group, before they can get sick, and the consequences can be dire for them. In the latter, however, some believe in conspiracy theories that they will fall victim to it. In both cases, it is about the same emotion – argues prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina, head of the Department of Social Psychology at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.

The rest of the text is below the video.

Campaigns do not work?

Reluctance to vaccinate has been observed for several years. On a large scale, it all began with reports relating to childhood immunization and the development of autism. This myth has long since been debunked, and its creator (Andrew Wakefield) has been brought to justice. However, this does not change the fact that the former doctor sowed the seeds of uncertainty that have sprouted to this day. Quite the same with the common COVID-19 vaccinations. The source of the repeated myths is primarily the Internet, including social networks.

1. Editors recommend: Third dose for everyone? Expert: It’s complicated

The government advertising campaign “Vaccinate” was aimed at reaching specific age groups of our population and encouraging them to vaccinate against COVID-19 with the help of known and popular. As it turns out, the huge budget did not translate into the forecasted ranges. Cinema stars, artists and celebrities got involved in the action. Marketing experts emphasize, however, that these are not people who inspire particular trust in the field of health and research. The reluctance of Poles is also aroused by the assumed commercialization of such campaigns. Poles are of the opinion that the personalities involved received remuneration for it and, according to statistics, we do not like it. We tend to think ‘they paid them – they played it as they were told’. According to psychologists, a certain chance for the success of this campaign would be to weave… emotions into it. Following this thought, the protagonist of the spot would have to present to the audience a personal story in which he tells what vaccinations gave him or what he avoided thanks to them. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

According to HX Study, a social campaign should be targeted at a younger audience – under 45 years of age. This is because this group contains the highest number of vaccine skeptics. It turned out that the most people saw posters with Cezary Pazura – 29 percent. respondents, while the representative of the young – Maciej Musiał, only 7 percent.

– In the case of the “Vaccinate” campaign, the question arises whether someone has done research before or whether the people who promoted universal vaccination against COVID-19 are the ones that are relevant for a specific age group. Because the fact that someone who plans such a campaign thinks that such a celebrity will be good by identification to succumb to various types of messages, it does not prove anything. There is also no information factor here. There is only a message that a known person with whom the recipient can identify himself has gone to vaccinations. On the other hand, when we are talking about information campaigns, it turns out that providing information alone is not enough when it comes to health promotion. In most cases, people know very well what the risks and consequences are, but nothing comes of it – Prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina.

1. Also read: Atypical disorders observed in vaccinated women. Scientists: research needed

At the beginning of September 2021, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna informed readers that the campaign promoting vaccination in educational institutions also suffered a failure. Depending on the local conditions, free vaccinations were to take place at mobile points or at the school itself. However, the interest among parents is negligible. Vaccination points will be created in 129 out of 924 educational institutions.

– It seems to me that the social element is not emphasized enough. The mere fact that you do not get vaccinated can have consequences not only for you but also for those around you. It then becomes a social dilemma. Do we also look at costs and profits from the perspective of other people, or do we focus only on what seems right to us – says prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina.

Thinking patterns and irrational optimism

It is worth remembering that behind every decision we make in life, there is not only rational, evidence-based information, but most of all our emotions. As Homo sapiens we have a tendency (or rather our brain does) to simplify thought patterns and adjust them to our own or our loved ones’ experiences. In such cases reason and scientific facts take a back seat.

– One of the possible mechanisms is what is referred to in psychology as irrational optimism. It is based on the belief that negative situations happen to others, but not to ourselves. It is overestimating the good things that can happen to us in life, while avoiding the bad ones. It is a kind of psychological protection. It is stronger in younger people than in older people. This phenomenon occurs regardless of life experience and it is a certain characteristic of a person. The tendency to focus more on oneself than on other people is also of great importance – adds prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina.

How to reach skeptics?

Campaign experts, medics, politicians and journalists are wondering what would be the biggest motivation for vaccinations for undecided people. There are many hypotheses, one of which is the availability of vaccines. It is impossible to forget about the emotions and controversies caused by instances of inoculation out of sequence, for example by famous actors. At that time, injections were treated as a luxury good, and now the next doses are waiting in clinics for those who are simply missing. And it is worth noting that we are talking about free vaccinations, which will probably be paid in the future (prices are to range from 8 to 70 PLN).

Should you rely on opinion polls in determining your strategy for the coming months? As the social psychologist Prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina: – In polls of this type one should take into account a certain issue. People choose answers that have been prepared for them from a specific pool. So these are not their statements. This is an attempt to determine which of the answers seems cool and suits them best.

It turns out that a big rebellion among vaccine skeptics is sparked by ideas of organizing cultural events only for vaccinated people. This is associated with social exclusion rather than concern for other people’s health. Also, the idea of ​​the National Vaccination Program Lottery did not turn out to be successful and was perceived by most of the society as a bribe.

– Lotteries and prizes may or may not encourage. The question remains whether it is worth it and whether I have a real chance of winning such an award. Because if there are relatively few of them, and many willing ones, the probability that I can win something is minimal. These are standard management strategies, based on the carrot and stick principle. It is a bit little and it rarely works as planned by strategists, explains Prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina.

So how do you convince skeptics to get vaccinated before the next wave of the pandemic breaks out?

– The first point is very simple. You have to start by trying to understand these people. It is not about arguing and persuading. It is more important to understand why they are taking these and not the other actions. This is the starting point for campaign planning. It is worth considering what they want to convey with their behavior. Is it a form of rebellion against a global conspiracy, or a desire to emphasize your autonomy when someone wants to forcefully decide for us? Or maybe it is a lack of trust in anyone and nothing, or simply lack of time. However, it is not an easy task. In such persuasive activities, the key is to strengthen motivation and remove barriers – concludes Prof. dr hab. Wojciech Cwalina.

Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.

Also read:

1. This is how the coronavirus works on the intestines. Pocovid irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms
2. The doctor assesses the vaccination campaign in Poland: we have failed. And he gives two main reasons
3. Vaccination against COVID-19 increases the risk of a heart attack. True or false?
4. How much risk are the unvaccinated against COVID-19? The CDC is straightforward
5. Disturbing symptoms in convalescents. What to pay attention to, what to do? Doctors created a guide

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.