Will the U.S. public support donating COVID-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries
The pandemic affects every country, but not every country has equal access to the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines. Recent estimates show that high-income countries—which have just one-fifth of the worldwide adult population—have purchased quite half the world's total vaccine doses, leading to disparities for low- and middle-income countries.
A new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University investigates a key question: Will is that the U.S. population support donating a part of its COVID-19 vaccine stockpile to less prosperous countries?
"COVID-19 may be a true global pandemic that has touched every nation on Earth. Borders closed, economic consequences and a fantastic level of human suffering, with now quite half 1,000,000 people that have died of COVID within the U.S. and lots of more worldwide," said lead author Jeanine Guidry, Ph.D., a professor within the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture within the College of Humanities and Sciences and director of the Media+Health Lab at VCU. "COVID-19 has shown how interconnected we all are, and to defeat it we'll get to work together on a worldwide scale."
For the study, "U.S. Public Support for COVID-19 Vaccine Donation to Low- and Middle-Income Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic," the researchers surveyed 788 U.S. adults that assessed the support of various population groups for donating vaccines, also as in what quantity and in what time-frame.
It found that older respondents were both less likely to endorse higher levels of COVID-19 vaccine donations and were more likely to require to attend until beating the U.S. who want the vaccine have received it.
"We know that while COVID affects everybody, the bulk of the people that die from it are people that are older," Guidry said. "So this finding may reflect that vulnerability."
It also found that respondents who identified as Democrats were more likely to endorse more and faster COVID-19 vaccine donations to low- and middle-income countries than Republicans.
"It is feasible that those that identify as Democrats were more likely to support higher levels of donation because it's going to be connected to a belief in health care as a person's right and health look after all," Guidry said.
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People without insurance also were less likely to support donations and wanted to attend until everyone within the U.S. who wants a vaccine has received it.
The study also found that folks who rated higher on the "social dominance orientation" scale were both less likely to endorse higher levels of COVID-19 vaccine donations also as more likely to require to attend until beating the U.S. who want the vaccine have received it. Social dominance orientation may be a personality trait measuring an individual's support for social hierarchy and belief that their group is superior to others.
"Social dominance orientation may very well be a fundamental driver of support for vaccine donations during the pandemic," said Paul Perrin, Ph.D., a co-author on the study and a professor within the Department of Psychology at VCU. "When people believe their heart that some individuals are inherently better than others and will therefore be afforded more societal privileges, that's a deep worldview which will color many of their other belief systems."
The study's results even have some encouraging signs, said co-author Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., a professor within the Department of Health Behavior and Policy within the VCU School of drugs.
"Despite a number of the differences we observed concerning age, party affiliation or social dominance, it's encouraging that, for the foremost part, there was a majority support for donating the maximum amount as 10% of vaccines we've available within the U.S. to other countries," he said. "Despite some hesitancy among a minority of the sample, many we surveyed recognized the importance of closing the gap. Policymakers should be encouraged that proposals to donate the vaccine are going to be met with acceptance."
The study's findings might be valuable to policymakers, health care providers, and public health communication professionals working to influence and target key segments of the U.S. public to support the donation of vaccines to countries that lack the resources to develop and buy sufficient quantities.
"Our goal is to supply indications about how we will best communicate to the general public. How can we best say: 'OK, we'd like to [donate vaccines] but we would like your buy-in. we would like your support,'" Guidry said. "Having support for these decisions goes to be critically important. [This study] provides a crucial start line ."
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