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Preference for taking advantage of herd immunity rather than taking the vaccine
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 shows an understanding that not vaccinating carries a risk and that herd immunity is important to protect against disease. In this case, individuals do want the benefit of herd immunity. However, they prefer that others take on the small risk of vaccination to achieve herd immunity, instead of them or their children.
Arguments tend to be phrased in the context of protecting one’s child, and reject the idea that one should be vaccinated to protect others. For example:
It is understandable, and very human, that people’s first priority is themselves and their loved ones. There is always the temptation for any individual to let others protect them with their vaccinations and get the benefit from group immunity. It’s difficult for anyone to make decisions that seem like they are only going to benefit others.
En dialog mellan patienter och hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal är mest produktiv om man förhåller sig empatiskt och ger patienten möjlighet att bekräfta de underliggande orsakerna till attityden, samt att man uttrycker förståelse för dessa. Därför är det viktigt att förstå attitydgrunden bakom personers uppenbara åsikter. Att bekräfta en persons underliggande attitydgrund innebär inte att vi måste instämma i detaljerna i deras argument. Vi kan till exempel bekräfta att:
It is understandable, and very human, that people’s first priority is themselves and their loved ones. There is always the temptation for any individual to let others protect them with their vaccinations and get the benefit from group immunity. It’s difficult for anyone to make decisions that seem like they are only going to benefit others.
By remaining unvaccinated, we are actually compromising our individual safety. Vaccines help to lower the possibility of contracting a disease, but they also reduce the possibility of becoming severely ill. If it becomes the norm for everyone to try and benefit from herd immunity without being vaccinated themselves, we would not end up vaccinating enough people to reach herd immunity or we would only reach it after a long delay. That means we would all continue to be at risk from the disease. 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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