Impact of a physician recommendation on COVID-19 vaccination intent among vaccine hesitant individuals

To test the impact of varied physician recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We conducted a vignette-based experimental survey on Prolific, an online research platform. COVID-19 vaccine hesitant, adult panel members were assigned to one of five messages that varied by recommendation style (participatory vs explicit) and strategy (acknowledgement of concerns; comparison to the flu shot; statement that millions of people have already received it; emphasis on protecting others). Vaccine hesitancy was re-assessed with the question, “Would you get vaccinated at this visit?”. Of the 752 participants, 60.1% were female, 43.4% Black, 23.6% Latino, and 33.0% White; mean age was 35.6 years. Overall, 33.1% of the initially “not sure” and 13.1% of the initially “no” participants became less hesitant following any recommendation. Among the “not sure” participants, 20.3% of those who received a participatory recommendation became less hesitant compared with 34.3%− 39.5% for the explicit recommendations. The “protect others” message was most effective among initially “no” participants; 19.8% become less hesitant, compared to 8.7% for the participatory recommendation. A physician recommendation may reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. An explicit recommendation and “protect others” message appear to be important elements of a physician recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination. •A brief physician recommendation can reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.•An explicit recommendation may be more effective than a participatory one.•Among the most vaccine-hesitant, a “protect others” message is most effective.