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ABSTRACT
With the onset and rapid spread of COVID-19 without a safe and effective vaccine, initial efforts to reduce community spread focused on basic public health measures such as mask wearing, social distancing, handwashing, avoiding large gatherings, and suspected cases isolation and quarantine. Following was the development of the COVID-19 vaccination and a shift to immunize the U.S. population to achieve herd immunity and halt the pandemic. Many diverse methods to influence vaccine uptake behaviors have been implemented including increasing the number and accessibility of vaccine sites, lowering the eligible age, relaxing eligibility requirements, public education and outreach campaigns, introducing state, local and job-based incentives and, in some instances, vaccine mandates. With two-thirds of the population now vaccinated with at least one shot, additional gains will be more difficult requiring more creative approaches rooted in behavior change theories and strategies. The behaviors associated with COVID-19 are not new and “tried and true” behaviorally oriented prevention strategies created long before COVID-19 arrived can effectively be used to educate people. Health educators and professionals can play a critical role with this remaining resistant population subset and must employ behaviorally oriented messages that are factually accurate, persuasive and relevant, and culturally and linguistically appropriate.
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Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).