Recently published research by CHDS’ Yuli (Lily) Hsieh and colleagues evaluated the effect of the suspension of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine on vaccine hesitancy in the United States. When Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen, J&J) COVID-19 vaccines were made available to the public under the FDA Emergency Use Authorization, many people were excited to receive the vaccine – but some were hesitant. Vaccine hesitancy can be a problem when not enough people get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, impeding the control of the pandemic. In early April 2021, a time when COVID-19 cases were high, U.S. authorities announced an investigation into potential adverse events associated with the J&J COVID-19 vaccine and recommended a suspension.
Hsieh and colleagues’ research found that the suspension was not associated with an increase in hesitancy overall but could have had an impact on how individuals who were hesitant rationalized their views. Specifically, the researchers observed a significant increase in the likelihood of people being concerned about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines following the suspension recommendation. Understanding the impact of pauses like the J&J vaccine suspension is important for the US and globally, as such pauses are an important piece of the safety system in place for vaccine roll-out.
Learn more: Read the full article, The Effect of the Suspension of the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine on Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States
Learn more: Explore CHDS teaching materials on dis/mis-information and vaccine hesitancy
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