About 35% of eligible U.S. adults are not fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccine hesitancy is one reason for this. Health literacy may be an important contributor to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and this may help explain disparities in vaccine uptake in some communities. Health professionals across the country are reporting growing intolerance for patients who remain unvaccinated, which may further exacerbate inequities in care, and disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Examining vaccine hesitancy through a health literacy lens is expected to help health professionals empathize with unvaccinated patients, provide new communication approaches, and help ensure informed decision-making.
Objectives:
• Define COVID-19 “vaccine hesitancy” and describe the potential role(s) of health literacy in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy behavior.
• Describe the potential effects of implicit and explicit bias, stereotype, and negative assumptions on health professionals’ judgments about unvaccinated people.
• Describe health literacy and clear communication strategies for addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.