BIO

My name is Estee Davidson, and I am a sophomore studying Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences with a Clinical Professions focus. My interests include immunology and infectious diseases, and my plan is to attend medical school after finishing my undergraduate education. Through UROP, I have been conducting research under Ph.D. candidate Jeonghwa Yang, and hope to continue participating in research after the conclusion of this project. My membership in both the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and the FSU Honors Program has allowed me to gain valuable experience in public health and policy research with the support of my honors coursework. I am also involved on campus in clubs such as Make Medicine Human and FSU Circle K International, and my hobbies include reading, pottery, tennis, and running.

Framing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Abstract

COVID-19 is a respiratory sickness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In 2020, the virus grew into a pandemic, and a vaccine for the virus first became available in December 2020. However, with the vaccine came a notable rise in vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine sentiments that limited the uptake of the vaccine in many groups. At its peak, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was prevalent in certain areas and demographics, and several factors were identified as contributors to the lack of vaccine uptake. By looking at how academia and mass media framed the COVID-19 vaccine, and by comparing the outside perspective of “defined” social equity with the reality for the individuals experiencing vaccine hesitancy, we hope to determine how public media influenced vaccine uptake and perspectives of the vaccine on the individual level. To accurately analyze mass media and sources that may have influenced public perspective on the vaccine and those experiencing hesitancy, archival sources from CNN, FOX, The New York times, and NPR during the year of 2020 were analyzed. Collected data focused on specific groups who had lower vaccine uptake, vaccine hesitancy, and the general “above” perspective on the “below” population. The collected data provided several causes behind vaccine hesitancy in the United States, including misinformation, lack of vaccine education and availability, varying social capital in different areas, and individual experiences. Further analyses continue, however, these findings suggest that improved vaccine education techniques and accessibility, as well as increased outreach and representation, may help decrease future vaccine hesitancy.

Keywords: COVID-19, mass media, vaccine hesitancy, framing, social equity