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Other people should take the measures that I can afford (e.g., quarantine and social distance)
Getting vaccinated is a prosocial act because it protects not just the person who got vaccinated, but also their community as a whole (through herd immunity). If nearly everyone gets vaccinated so that herd immunity is achieved, it would be possible for one individual to “free ride” on others in the community.
People may perceive that they can benefit from others’ willingness to be vaccinated while not incurring the inconvenience or small risk of side effects themselves. Experimental and observational studies have documented the presence of this type of free-riding behaviour.
People may justify looking out for their (and their children’s) interests if they perceive that the world is individualistic and competitive, where everyone only looks out for themselves.
This theme reflects a belief that other people should just adhere to preventative measures that are only available to people with high socio-economic status or with very particular working conditions (e.g., quarantine, practice social distance). These arguments often state that one should not need to be vaccinated because one belongs to a minority that can afford to take protective measures instead.
Protective measures like quarantine and social distancing can be very effective at stopping the spread of disease. Indeed, when vaccines are not available, they are the only line of defence against infectious diseases. It is definitely important to recognise the value of these protective measures.
Dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals is most productive if it is guided by empathy, and an opportunity for the patient to affirm the reasons underlying their attitudes and to express understanding for that. That’s why it is important to understand the attitude roots behind people’s overt opinions. To affirm a person’s underlying attitude root does not mean we need to agree with the specifics of their argument. For example, we can acknowledge that:
Protective measures like quarantine and social distancing can be very effective at stopping the spread of disease. Indeed, when vaccines are not available, they are the only line of defence against infectious diseases. It is definitely important to recognise the value of these protective measures.
Quarantine and social distancing will only eliminate disease if everyone can adhere to them. While there are great benefits to these measures, they are not a long-term solution because it not possible to everyone in society can afford them. We still need people to keep supermarkets running, for example, or fix electricity cables so others can remain fed and connected.
It is therefore important to have a range of measures that are effective and that offers the best protection for everyone. Getting vaccinated is one of these effective measures. Vaccines help to lower the possibility of contracting a disease, but they also reduce the possibility of becoming severely ill. So it is actually in our own interests to take advantage of the opportunity to get vaccinated and lower our own risk.
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