“There's a lot of factors”: Researcher reflections on using I-poetry to empathetically understand vaccine hesitant individuals

Background

Despite higher vaccination rates compared to other age groups, many US older adults remain under-vaccinated against preventable diseases leading to increased risk of serious illness, hospitalization, or death posed from disease. This study investigates the underlying reasons for older adults not getting vaccinated.

Methods

From a larger interview study conducted in North Dakota, eight older adults (Mean Age = 73) were identified as being vaccine hesitant. Participants were asked, “How do you decide about whether or not to get a specific vaccine?” Then, participants' responses were analyzed using the I-poetry qualitative methodology, which involves creating a poem from interview transcripts to capture the essence of participants' experiences.

Results

Poetic findings clarify interacting sources of immunization unease and highlight potential intervention avenues for medical professionals. Specifically, the poetic analysis revealed themes of mistrust in the healthcare system, preference for natural immunity, and concerns about vaccine side effects. The study suggests that healthcare professionals should consider using empathetic communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy in older adults.

Conclusions

Understanding vaccine hesitancy as a tapestry instead of individual factors may be more useful for older adults who culminate their hesitant beliefs from prior life experiences. Additionally, to improve trust in healthcare providers, it is suggested that more first-person narratives of older adult experiences are used and solicited by healthcare providers. Possible interventions are discussed.