1
|
Zimmermann BM, Paul KT, Janny A, Butt Z. Between information campaign and controversy: a quantitative newspaper content analysis about COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland and Austria. Scand J Public Health 2024; 52:253-261. [PMID: 37646484 DOI: 10.1177/14034948231195388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Because media portrayal reflects and shapes public opinion and health policy, investigating news coverage of public health issues is highly relevant for public health research and practice. Addressing a topical issue, this study investigated how newspaper coverage framed COVID-19 vaccines in Austria and German-speaking Switzerland and how it developed over time. METHODS A quantitative newspaper content analysis of six newspapers from Austria and German-speaking Switzerland published between January 1 and 31, 2022 was conducted. Frames were identified for each country separately through hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) based on frame elements. RESULTS Four frames were identified in both countries: (1) Evaluating new vaccines, (2) Discussing mandates, (3) Promoting vaccination, (4) Mentioning vaccines. In Frames 1 (Switzerland 86.4%, Austria 93.3%) and 3 (Switzerland 92.7%, Austria 98.9%), most articles included vaccine-endorsing statements, with Swiss coverage including additional negative statements more often than Austrian coverage (43.2%/44.6% vs 4.0%/3.3%). Frame 2 was closely linked to vaccine skepticism only in Austria and contained more evaluative statements in Austrian newspapers (25.4% endorsing, 35.4% rejecting; in Switzerland 14.5%/18.1%). The Austrian tabloid Kronen Zeitung published most articles (497/1091, 45.6%). CONCLUSIONS The commercialized and comparatively high share of tabloid news coverage in Austria may have contributed to oversimplified and polarizing COVID-19 vaccine debates in this context. Insufficiently balanced and adequate information may contribute to a loss of public trust in vaccination and may therefore affect vaccination uptake. Authorities and public health professionals should consider this effect when designing information campaigns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Zimmermann
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Institute of Philosophy and Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katharina T Paul
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Janny
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Zarah Butt
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Radhuber IM, Haddad C, Kieslich K, Paul KT, Prainsack B, El-Sayed S, Schlogl L, Spahl W, Weiss E. Citizenship in times of crisis: biosocial state-citizen relations during COVID-19 in Austria. Biosocieties 2023:1-26. [PMID: 37359140 PMCID: PMC10201040 DOI: 10.1057/s41292-023-00304-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Drawing upon 152 in-depth qualitative interviews with residents in Austria carried out in the first year of the pandemic, this article discusses how people's experiences with COVID-19 policies reflect and reshape state-citizen relations. Coinciding with a significant government crisis, the first year of COVID-19 in Austria saw pandemic measures justified with reference to a biological, often medical understanding of health that framed disease prevention in terms of transmission reduction, often with reference to metrics such as hospitalisation rates, etc. Instead of using this biomedical frame, our interviewees, however, drew attention to biopsychosocial dimensions of the crisis and problematised the entanglements between economy and health. We call this the emergence of a biosocial notion of citizenship that is attentive to psychological, social and economic dimensions of health. Insights into the biosocial nature of pandemic citizenship open a window of opportunity for addressing long-standing social injustices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella M. Radhuber
- Austrian Science Fund, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Haddad
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Global Health Policy, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Katharina T. Paul
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Prainsack
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Seliem El-Sayed
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Schlogl
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wanda Spahl
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elias Weiss
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zimmermann BM, Paul KT, Araújo ER, Buyx A, Ferstl S, Fiske A, Kraus D, Marelli L, McLennan S, Porta V, Prainsack B, Radhuber IM, Saxinger G. The social and socio-political embeddedness of COVID-19 vaccination decision-making: A five-country qualitative interview study from Europe. Vaccine 2023; 41:2084-2092. [PMID: 36813665 PMCID: PMC9933319 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The uptake ofCOVID-19 vaccines has varied considerably across European countries. This study investigates people's decision-making process regarding vaccination by analyzing qualitative interviews (n = 214) with residents from five European countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. We identify three factors that shape vaccination decision-making: individual experiences and pre-existing attitudes towards vaccination, social environment, and socio-political context. Based on this analysis, we present a typology of decision-making regarding COVID-19 vaccines, where some types present stable stances towards vaccines and others change over time. Trust in government and relevant stakeholders, broader social factors, and people's direct social environment were particularly relevant to these dynamics. We conclude that vaccination campaigns should be considered long-term projects (also outside of pandemics) in need of regular adjustment, communication and fine-tuning to ensure public trust. This is particularly pertinent for booster vaccinations, such as COVID-19 or influenza.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Zimmermann
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Katharina T Paul
- Department of Political Science & Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria.
| | - Emília R Araújo
- Institute of Social Sciences, Research Center on Communication Studies, University of Minho, Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Alena Buyx
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Ferstl
- Department of Political Science & Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria.
| | - Amelia Fiske
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - David Kraus
- Department of Political Science & Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria.
| | - Luca Marelli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy; Life Sciences & Society Lab, Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Stuart McLennan
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Vittoria Porta
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy.
| | - Barbara Prainsack
- Department of Political Science & Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria.
| | - Isabella M Radhuber
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria.
| | - Gertrude Saxinger
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, Austria Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern, Lerchenweg 36, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zimmermann BM, Wagenaar H, Kieslich K, Prainsack B, Meyers G, Buyx A, El-Sayed S, Fiske A, Galasso I, Geiger S, Hangel N, Horn R, Johnson S, Kuiper JML, Lucivero F, McLennan S, Paul KT, Pot M, Radhuber I, Samuel G, Sharon T, Siffels L, Van Hoyweghen I, Awad S, Bourgeron T, Eichinger J, Gaille M, Haddad C, Hayes S, Hoffman A, Jasser M, Kenens J, Lanzing M, Libert S, Lievevrouw E, Marelli L, Ongolly F, Phillips A, Pinel C, Riesinger K, Roberts S, Saxinger G, Schlogl L, Schönweitz F, Sierawska A, Spahl W, Stendahl E, Vanstreels S, Vidolov S, Weiss E. Democratic research: Setting up a research commons for a qualitative, comparative, longitudinal interview study during the COVID-19 pandemic. SSM Qual Res Health 2022; 2:100158. [PMID: 36092769 PMCID: PMC9448682 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The sudden and dramatic advent of the COVID-19 pandemic led to urgent demands for timely, relevant, yet rigorous research. This paper discusses the origin, design, and execution of the SolPan research commons, a large-scale, international, comparative, qualitative research project that sought to respond to the need for knowledge among researchers and policymakers in times of crisis. The form of organization as a research commons is characterized by an underlying solidaristic attitude of its members and its intrinsic organizational features in which research data and knowledge in the study is shared and jointly owned. As such, the project is peer-governed, rooted in (idealist) social values of academia, and aims at providing tools and benefits for its members. In this paper, we discuss challenges and solutions for qualitative studies that seek to operate as research commons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Zimmermann
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Wagenaar
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Josefstädter Straße 39, 1080, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Kieslich
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Prainsack
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Meyers
- Tilburg Institute for Law Technology and Society, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alena Buyx
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Seliem El-Sayed
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Amelia Fiske
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Ilaria Galasso
- ERC MISFIRES, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Susi Geiger
- University College Dublin Business School, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Nora Hangel
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Ruth Horn
- Ethox Centre and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, OX3 7LF, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephanie Johnson
- Ethox Centre and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, OX3 7LF, Oxford, UK
| | - Janneke M L Kuiper
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Federica Lucivero
- Ethox Centre and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, OX3 7LF, Oxford, UK
| | - Stuart McLennan
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina T Paul
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mirjam Pot
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabella Radhuber
- Research Network Latin America - Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Wien, Austria
| | - Gabrielle Samuel
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, Bush House North East Wing, 30 Aldwych, WC2B 4BG, London, UK
| | - Tamar Sharon
- iHub Department of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, HT Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lotje Siffels
- iHub Department of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, HT Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ine Van Hoyweghen
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sula Awad
- ERC MISFIRES, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Théo Bourgeron
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chrystal MacMillan Building, 15a George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD, UK
| | - Johanna Eichinger
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marie Gaille
- Laboratoire Sphere, Paris Diderot University, 5 Rue Thomas Mann, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Christian Haddad
- Austrian Institute for International Affairs, Währinger Straße 3/12, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Hayes
- Vienna School of International Studies, Diplomatische Akademie Wien, Favoritenstraße 15A, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrew Hoffman
- iHub Department of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, HT Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marie Jasser
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joke Kenens
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marjolein Lanzing
- iHub Department of Philosophical Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525, HT Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sébastien Libert
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, Bloomsbury, London, UK
| | - Elisa Lievevrouw
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luca Marelli
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan
| | - Fernandos Ongolly
- ERC MISFIRES, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Amicia Phillips
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Clémence Pinel
- Department of Public Health Øster Farimagsgade 5, P.O. Box 2099, DK-1014, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katharina Riesinger
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephen Roberts
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Gertrude Saxinger
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Schlogl
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franziska Schönweitz
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Sierawska
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Wanda Spahl
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Emma Stendahl
- Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 553 18 Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Siemen Vanstreels
- Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simeon Vidolov
- ERC MISFIRES, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Elias Weiss
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Paul KT, Zimmermann BM, Corsico P, Fiske A, Geiger S, Johnson S, Kuiper JM, Lievevrouw E, Marelli L, Prainsack B, Spahl W, Van Hoyweghen I. Anticipating hopes, fears and expectations towards COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative interview study in seven European countries. SSM Qual Res Health 2022; 2:100035. [PMID: 35013736 PMCID: PMC8731673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2021.100035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Vaccine uptake is essential to managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine hesitancy is a persistent concern. At the same time, both decision-makers and the general population have high hopes for COVID-19 vaccination. Drawing from qualitative interview data collected in October 2020 as part of the pan-European SolPan study, this study explores early and anticipatory expectations, hopes and fears regarding COVID-19 vaccination across seven European countries. We find that stances towards COVID-19 vaccines were shaped by personal lived experiences, but participants also aligned personal and communal interests in their considerations. Trust, particularly in expert institutions, was an important prerequisite for vaccine acceptance, but participants also expressed doubts about the rapid vaccine development process. Our findings emphasise the need to move beyond the study of factors driving vaccine hesitancy, and instead to focus on how people personally perceive vaccination in their particular social and political context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina T. Paul
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina M. Zimmermann
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany,Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Switzerland,Corresponding author. Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Paolo Corsico
- Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, Department of Law, School of Social Sciences, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom,Ethox Centre, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amelia Fiske
- Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Susi Geiger
- MISFIRES Project, College of Business, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephanie Johnson
- Ethox Centre and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Janneke M.L. Kuiper
- Life Sciences & Society Lab, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisa Lievevrouw
- Life Sciences & Society Lab, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luca Marelli
- Life Sciences & Society Lab, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Belgium,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Italy,Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Italy
| | - Barbara Prainsack
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Wanda Spahl
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ine Van Hoyweghen
- Life Sciences & Society Lab, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Affiliation(s)
- Wanda Spahl
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mirjam Pot
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina T. Paul
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lehner L, Gribi J, Hoffmann K, Paul KT, Kutalek R. Beyond the "information deficit model" - understanding vaccine-hesitant attitudes of midwives in Austria: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1671. [PMID: 34521378 PMCID: PMC8442326 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11710-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare workers are considered key stakeholders in efforts to address vaccine hesitancy. Midwives' influence in advising expectant parents on early-childhood vaccinations is unquestioned, yet they remain an understudied group. The literature on midwives' attitudes towards vaccinations is also inconclusive. We therefore conducted an explorative qualitative study on midwives' vaccine-hesitant attitudes towards MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccinations in Austria. METHODS We conducted 12 in-depth interviews on their knowledge, concerns, and beliefs with midwives who self-identified as hesitant or resistant towards early-childhood MMR vaccinations. We analyzed the data using a grounded theory approach to distill common themes and meanings. RESULTS Healthcare workers' stewardship to address vaccine hesitancy is commonly framed in terms of the "information deficit model": disseminate the right information and remedy publics' information deficits. Our findings suggest that this approach is too simplistic: Midwives' professional self-understanding, their notions of "good care" and "good parenthood" inflect how they engage with vaccine information and how they address it to their clients. Midwives' model of care prioritized good counseling rather than sharing scientific information in a "right the wrong"-manner. They saw themselves as critical consumers of that information and as promoting "empowered patients" who were free, and affluent enough, to make their own choices about vaccinations. In so doing, they also often promoted traditional notions of motherhood. CONCLUSIONS Research shows that, for parents, vaccine decision-making builds on trust and dialogue with healthcare professionals and is more than a technical issue. In order to foster these interactions, understanding healthcare professionals' means of engaging with information is key to understanding how they engage with their constituents. Healthcare workers are more than neutral resources; their daily praxis influenced by their professional standing in the healthcare system. Similarly, healthcare professionals' views on vaccinations cannot be remedied with more information either. Building better and more diverse curricula for different groups of healthcare workers must attend to their respective roles, ethics of care, and professional beliefs. Taken together, better models for addressing vaccine hesitancy can only be developed by espousing a multi-faceted view of decision-making processes and interactions of healthcare workers with constituents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Lehner
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XPresent Address: Department of Science & Technology Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York USA ,grid.511277.7Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research (KLI), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Janna Gribi
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathryn Hoffmann
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina T. Paul
- grid.10420.370000 0001 2286 1424Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Kutalek
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Paul KT, Eberl JM, Partheymüller J. Policy-Relevant Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination: Associations With Demography, Health Risk, and Social and Political Factors. Front Public Health 2021; 9:671896. [PMID: 34295869 PMCID: PMC8290156 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.671896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Vaccination is considered to be a key public health intervention to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the success of the intervention is contingent on attitudes toward vaccination and the design of vaccination policies. Methods: We conduct cross-sectional analyses of policy-relevant attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination using survey data of a representative sample of Austrian residents collected by the Austrian Corona Panel Project (ACPP). As outcomes, we examine the individual readiness to get vaccinated, the support for compulsory vaccinations, and the preference for making the vaccine available free of charge. The independent variables include demographics, objective and perceived health risks, and social and political factors. Results: Although there is broad public support for making the vaccine available free of charge, vaccine hesitancy and the opposition to a vaccine mandate are widespread. The protective function of the vaccine for the individual only motivates limited support for vaccinations. Opposition to COVID-19 vaccination also stems from a lack of sense of community and an ongoing politicization of the issue through conspiracy theories and party politics. Conclusion: We propose that overcoming the inherent free-rider problem of achieving sufficiently high vaccination rates poses a potential dilemma for policymakers: Given the politicized nature of the issue, they may find themselves having to choose between making vaccinations compulsory at political costs and a lingering pandemic at high costs for public health and the economy. We propose that promoting a sense of community and addressing potential practical constraints will be key in designing an effective COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina T Paul
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
Current political developments in established liberal democracies in both Europe and North America have fundamentally called into question the normative relations between truth, knowledge and politics. Whether labeled "posttruth" or truthiness, commentators lament the willful spread and deployment of nonknowledge and ignorance as important political forces. In this paper, we discuss ignorance in its strategic dimension by weaving together insights from the sociology of ignorance with a policy-scientific approach. By means of three empirical vignettes, we demonstrate that ignorance is more than the flipside of knowledge or merely its lack: it is a constitutive feature of the policy process and is thus not uniquely symptomatic of the current era. We conclude by arguing for what we call a symmetrical approach in which ignorance receives the same quality of attention that knowledge has historically received in the policy sciences. To make fully visible the different forms of ignorance that shape policy processes, policy scholars must hone their "agnoto-epistemological sensibilities" to cope with the current challenges and advance a policy science for democracy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina T. Paul
- Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Universitätsstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Haddad
- Austrian Institute for International Affairs (oiip), Berggasse 7, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Paul KT, Wallenburg I, Bal R. Putting public health infrastructures to the test: introducing HPV vaccination in Austria and the Netherlands. Sociol Health Illn 2018; 40:67-81. [PMID: 28718520 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This article presents two cases of policymaking concerning the vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted and carcinogenic. Our analysis focuses on its introduction in Austria and the Netherlands. In both contexts, we find prevention and screening to be at once complementary and competing public health logics and we draw on the concept of 'infrastructure' to understand their roles in shaping the reception of the vaccine. We reveal how the HPV vaccine had to be made 'good enough', much like the Pap smear (Casper and Clarke ), by means of diverse tinkering practices that transformed both the technology and the infrastructures in which they emerged. At the same time, it was important that the vaccine would not come to problematise Pap smear-based screening. The article points to the contextually contingent nature of policymaking around new medical technologies, and the skillful care with which public health infrastructures such as immunisation and screening programmes are handled and tinkered with.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Iris Wallenburg
- Institute of Health Policy & Management (iBMG), Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Amsterdam
| | - Roland Bal
- Institute of Health Policy & Management (iBMG), Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Amsterdam
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Vaccination against the sexually transmitted Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a necessary agent for the development of cervical cancer, has triggered much debate. In Austria, HPV policy turned from "lagging behind" in 2008 into "Europe's frontrunner" by 2013. Drawing on qualitative research, the article shows how the vaccine was transformed and made "good enough" over the course of five years. By means of tinkering and shifting storylines, policy officials and experts disassociated the vaccine from gender, vaccine manufacturers, and youth sexuality. Ultimately, the HPV vaccine functioned to strengthen the national immunization program. To this end, preventing an effective problematization of the extant screening program was essential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina T Paul
- University of Vienna, Department of Political Science, Universitätsstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Adams SA, Paul KT, Ketelaars C, Robben P. The use of mystery guests by the Dutch Health Inspectorate: Results of a pilot study in long-term intramural elderly care. Health Policy 2015; 119:821-30. [PMID: 25796315 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Adams
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, Postbox 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Katharina T Paul
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, Postbox 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Corry Ketelaars
- Dutch Health Inspectorate, Postbox 2680, 3500 GR Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul Robben
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy and Management, Postbox 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Dutch Health Inspectorate, Postbox 2680, 3500 GR Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Paul KT, Avezaat CJJ, Ijzermans JN, Friele RD, Bal RA. Organ donation as transition work: Policy discourse and clinical practice in The Netherlands. Health (London) 2013; 18:369-87. [DOI: 10.1177/1363459313501357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of patients become eligible for organ transplants. In the Netherlands, at the level of policy discourse, growing waiting lists are often referred to as a persistent “shortage” of organs, producing a “public health crisis.” In this way, organ donation is presented as an ethical, social, and medical necessity. Likewise, policy discourse offers a range of seemingly unambiguous solutions: improving logistical infrastructure at the level of hospitals, developing organizational and legal protocols, as well as public information campaigns. Instead of taking these problem and solution definitions as given, we critically examine the relationship between policy discourse and clinical practice. Based on a historical review, first, we trace the key moments of transformation where organ donation became naturalized in Dutch policy discourse, particularly in its altruistic connotation. Second, based on in-depth interviews with medical professionals, we show how those involved in organ donation continue to struggle with the controversial nature of their clinical practice. More specifically, we highlight their use of different forms of knowledge that underlie clinicians’ “transition work”: from losing a patient to “gaining” a donor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roland D Friele
- Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|