Vaccine Hesitancy in Young Adults May Hamper Herd Immunity for COVID-19

Questions about safety, side effects keep young people from getting a COVID shot, UCSF studies show.

Vaccine skepticism among young adults could slow efforts to achieve herd immunity — a threshold at which about 80 percent of the population is vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A survey by UC San Francisco researchers found that about one in four unvaccinated people ages 18 to 25 said they “probably won’t” or “definitely won’t” get the COVID-19 vaccination, despite the fact that this demographic are more likely than other age groups to transmit the coronavirus, endangering the health of older unvaccinated adults and facilitating the emergence of virulent vaccine variants.

The researchers analyzed March 2021 data from the Household Pulse Survey, an online nationally representative sample of the population conducted by the US Census Bureau in conjunction with the National Center for Health Statistics and other agencies.

Of the 5,082 respondents, 83 percent said they had not been vaccinated, 10 percent said they definitely won’t get the vaccine, and 14 percent said they probably won’t. The study appears today (July 14, 2021) in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

While data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that very few 18- to 29-year-olds die from COVID compared to older adults, this age group accounts for more than 20 percent of all COVID cases up to now. In addition, previous research by lead author Sally Adams, PhD, RN, of the UCSF National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center found that as many as one in three young adults are at risk for severe COVID.

‘Long COVID’ could affect young adults, even with mild symptoms

“Young adults who have had COVID, regardless of symptoms, can be vulnerable to long-term complications and debilitating symptoms, including difficulty breathing, loss of smell and brain fog, often referred to as ‘prolonged COVID’. Estimates range from 10 to 50 percent for long-term COVID symptoms, which is a serious concern for young adults given their high infection rates and low vaccination rates,” said Adams.

“Rapid vaccinations can help limit the further development of virulent variants and infection rates among vulnerable and unvaccinated people,” she added.

Of the unvaccinated respondents who said they definitely wouldn’t or probably wouldn’t get the vaccine, more than half said they were concerned about possible side effects. Half said they planned to wait and see if the vaccine was safe and might get it later. Also within this group, a third said they do not trust the vaccine, compared with less than one in ten of those who said they were likely to get vaccinated.

The recent spate of heart infection cases in teens and young adults following the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may have fueled many people’s fears, said senior author Charles Irwin Jr., MD, director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at UCSF. Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

“It is important to note that the rate of heart infections in young people who have been vaccinated is only slightly higher than in young people who have not been vaccinated. In most cases, symptoms are mild and resolve with minimal treatment,” Irwin said. “As a result, the majority of providers support the CDC and other advisory bodies that continue to recommend the vaccine for anyone 12 years of age or older.”

The researchers recommend that young adults’ concerns about vaccine safety and side effects be addressed through public education campaigns. “Public health education and messages encouraging young adult vaccination are needed, ideally leveraging social media and key influencers,” Irwin said, “including clinicians who play a key role in reducing vaccine hesitancy among youth and adult patients.”

Reference: “Young Adult Perspectives on COVID-19 Vaccinations” by Sally H. Adams, Ph.D.; Jason P. Schaub, MPH; Jason M. Nagata, MD, M.Sc.; M. Jane Park, MPH; Claire D. Brindis, Dr. PH and Charles E. Irwin Jr., MD, July 14, 2021, Journal of Adolescent Health.
DOI: 10.116/j.jadohealth.2021.06.003

About UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are two of the Bay Area’s leading pediatric hospitals with longstanding commitments to public service. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland both have industry-leading pediatric residency programs, unique pediatric subspecialty fellowship programs, a research base for next-generation discoveries, and expertise in pediatric clinical care, public policy, and patient advocacy.