Incorporating Public Values into Public Health Communications: Effects of Value Affirmations on Intentions to Vaccinate and Trust in the U.S.

A set of COVID-19 pro-vaccine messages that aligned with key social values of vaccine-hesitant individuals was developed. Two separate experimental tests of these messages were conducted during the Spring of 2021 in the U.S., just as the public rollout of COVID-19 vaccines was getting fully underway. Unvaccinated adults in the U.S. (n=1,170) completed an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to read through one of several different pro-vaccine messages, followed by assessments of their future COVID-19 vaccine likelihood and level of trust in government, health care, and vaccines. Relative to a control condition, messages that affirmed individuals’ distrust in the government and concerns over restrictions on personal liberty resulted in higher vaccination likelihood and greater trust. The findings have implications for broadening the value frames of public health appeals and taking seriously how and why vaccine hesitancy acts as a powerful way for people to express their values and authentic social experiences.