Does the public still trust public health? Analyzing the effects of misinformation inoculations by public health institutions on vaccine hesitancy

Abstract

This thesis aims to study how public health institutions’ debunking of COVID misinformation using inoculation theory affects vaccine hesitancy and misinformation belief in vaccine-hesitant populations. Participants were asked about how they perceive public health institutions (such as the CDC and WHO) in terms of trustworthiness and credibility. Participants were exposed to either misinformation and debunking using inoculation theory, misinformation alone, or a control task. Inoculation and misinformation experimental conditions were then asked to assess believability of vaccine-critical news headlines. After the survey, intention to get the COVID vaccine was measured. Inoculation messaging was found to have a significant positive effect on vaccine acceptance. Misinformation belief was found to have a slight mediating effect, but public health trust was not found to be a significant moderator. This study supports prior findings that inoculation is effective at increasing vaccine acceptance but prompts further research on misinformation’s role and long-term effects of inoculation messaging.