Prevention, Planning, and Policy: A COVID-19 Vaccine and Beyond

Background and rationale: With the coronavirus crisis disrupting people's daily lives across the globe, governments and health systems are struggling to address the economic and health consequences of this international public health emergency. Vaccination is one of the available measures in the public health toolkit to mitigate the spread of infectious disease. With more than 165 COVID-19 vaccines currently in development throughout the world and estimates for availability in early 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine is scheduled to be the vaccine with the fastest trajectory from laboratory to market in history. Taken as a social object around which there are myriad social and political negotiations, vaccination has been framed in public discourse and scientific narratives as a champion of health for all citizens. As a technoscientific solution, vaccination is placed at the fore of such narratives wherein scientists, biomedicine, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) are portrayed as heroes in humans' collective battle against tiny microbes. That said, such visions do not sufficiently encompass how vaccination as a social practice involves a multitude of social interactions, including health policy and political decision-making, patient-provider interactions, public health messaging, and public debates in various media channels. Overall objectives: The proposed research builds upon an ongoing project (July 2020-December 2021) entitled Coronavax: Preparing Community and Government which investigates preparedness for the rollout of the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine in Western Australia (WA). This postdoctoral research extends the scope of the Coronavax project by allowing me to independently lead research into COVID-19 vaccine rollout in real time (September 1, 2021-February 28, 2023). I will study the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on main determinants of vaccine hesitancy (VH) and vaccine uptake in Australia. Specific aims: My focus will be on COVID-19 vaccine rollout in real-time in Australia. To account for the broader context of vaccine attitudes in a pandemic scenario, I will assess childhood vaccination/influenza vaccine sentiment and uptake since the beginning of COVID-19. Specifically, I will analyze how people's vaccination (COVID-19, childhood, and influenza) attitudes and uptake are linked to sentiment about officials' handling of the COVID-19 crisis, VH in relation to each vaccine, and levels of (dis)trust in science, healthworkers, government, and pharmaceutical companies. I will also examine COVID-19 vaccination rollout from the perspectives of public health and governmental officials, with a content focus on the role of the State in creating and implementing vaccination policy. Methods to be used: This study benefits from a convergent mixed-methods study design, meaning that both qualitative and quantitative methods will be employed simultaneously on the same topic. There are 3 study components, 2 qualitative and 1 quantitative: (1) semi-structured interviews (N=35-40) with various sub-sections of WA populations, such as people =65 years of age, parents and caregivers of children 0-10 years, culturally/linguistically diverse communities, urban indigenous Australians, pregnant women, and vaccine hesitant individuals; (2) semi-structured interviews and/or focus group discussions (N=10-15) with public health authorities, governmental officials, and HCPs; and (3) a brief internet-based national survey of a national sample of individuals living in Australia. Expected results and impact: This research provides local insights in Australia into social phenomena surrounding COVID-19 public health governance and vaccination implementation. The empirical analysis provides opportunities to establish a multicomponent framework for future infectious disease prevention planning and comparative health social science research on a larger scale. The results of this research are of immediate import as they document and analyze the implementation of current public health efforts aimed at curbing the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic.