Planning for a COVID-19 Future Part 1: Response, Information Conflicts and Health Literacy

TAGS: COVID-19; resilience; response; conflict; vaccine hesitancy; health literacy; vaccination; scientific innovation; diffusion; adoption; economics; mental health.

Mixed messages on some vaccination issues have led to information conflicts causing confusion for people in deciding on whether to get vaccinated.

Where the public health message is mixed, or not clear, it may ignite existing vaccine concerns or create doubt about the vaccine - and so be a trigger for vaccine hesitancy.

The challenge for science is to promote better informed decision-making by the public on COVID-19 vaccination by communicating a clear public health message that promotes health literacy.

The role that concepts for the diffusion and adoption of scientific innovations have to facilitate health literacy is outlined.

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