When the COVID-19 vaccines became available in Australia, there was a flurry of education and promotional campaigns encouraging people to get vaccinated. But these messages from government and health care providers traveled slowly through some communities and did not always resonate. This contributed to vaccine hesitancy in some people.
New research from UNSW, published in health expectations, explored the role of peer-to-peer communication in the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia.
“Health information is almost always top-down – so it comes from government agencies, health agencies and your doctor,” said Joshua Karas, lead author of the study, who is a PhD student in the School of Population Health at UNSW Medicine & Health.
“But peer-to-peer communication is when information is received from a friend, family member, or other peer — a trusted source. So it can be quite powerful.
Understanding the role of peer-to-peer communication
The study involved in-depth virtual interviews with 41 Australian adults in September 2021. There were participants from every Australian state and territory, some of whom were still subject to lockdown restrictions. Thirty-three participants self-identified as having been vaccinated against COVID-19, while the rest were unvaccinated.
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“We wanted to understand how communication between partners influences people’s decisions about vaccines,” Mr Karas said. “We also wanted to understand the effect of vaccination on an individual’s capacity and motivation to talk about vaccines.”
Let’s become vaccine champions
Several common themes emerged throughout the interviews with participants vaccinated against COVID-19. First, communication between partners was important, contributing to vaccination decisions alongside official health announcements. More impactful communication between partners was with family and friends who maintained a strong, close relationship with the individual.
Additionally, after participants received the COVID-19 vaccine, they felt empowered to endorse the vaccine because of their personal experience. This sometimes leads to more conversations with those around them about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Once they get the vaccine, people are more likely to champion it,” Mr Karas said.
On the other hand, unvaccinated participants felt that communication between partners was not as important. They mentioned a desire not to be one of the many who are influenced by others.
Implications for future health campaigns
Communication between partners appears to play an important role in the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, but what does this mean for our communities?
If positive communication between partners is maintained, this can lead to increased awareness and confidence about the vaccine.
“At best, we are able to design programs to help ordinary people share information about health interventions,” Mr Karas said. “We could support them to communicate with their loved ones and help them stay safe and healthy.”
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For example, when a person receives a vaccine, they may also receive additional information about that vaccine and some communication training.
“We are looking to understand how we can use peer-to-peer communication – how this can help improve immunization uptake,” Mr Karas said.
“This concept can potentially be applied to other areas of health intervention, not just vaccines.”