Welltok Stresses Importance of Personalized COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach in New Survey Report

Nearly 80% of Americans believe that the COVID-19 vaccines will help combat the pandemic, but 71% are concerned about vaccine side effects

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Welltok, Inc.

Jan 19, 2021, 11:04 ET

DENVER, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The majority of the U.S. population is concerned about COVID-19 vaccine side effects and about half are concerned about there being enough supply, according to results of a new survey released today by Welltok. Over 60% of the 1,000 consumers surveyed also express the desire for a second dose reminder to ensure they complete the recommended regimen. Welltok, the consumer activation company, is releasing these findings to emphasize the need for vaccine education and awareness campaigns that break down barriers or misconceptions at an individual level, as well as help ensure compliance.

"Early COVID-19 vaccination trends illustrate the need for greater education around the potential public health benefit. To achieve herd immunity will require getting the 'moveable middle' to take action," said April Gill, chief strategy officer for Welltok. "We are leveraging healthcare and non-healthcare data to predict who may be on the fence about getting the vaccine – and why – to develop and deliver fact-based, personalized messages to overcome vaccine hesitancy."

To get a pulse on the general population's perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccines, Welltok partnered with research firm Ipsos to conduct a nationwide survey. Key findings from the new This Is Your Shot: Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Right report include:

Immunization intent: More Americans believe that some, most or all of their circle of friends and family will get the vaccine (80%) than say they will get vaccinated themselves (69%). Older Americans, ages 55+, indicated a higher intent to get vaccinated than adults ages 18-34 (82% vs 58%, respectively).
Vaccine hesitancy: About half of Americans (52%) are concerned there will not be enough supply and 71% are concerned about side effects. Nearly 60% of people also indicate preference for a specific brand of COVID-19 vaccine. This is especially true among younger Americans, high-earners, people with children in the household and full- and part-time employed adults.
Vaccine compliance: 4 out of 5 people (82%) who were immunized for influenza this year intend to get the COVID-19 vaccines. Conversely, people who did not get the flu vaccine this year are less likely to get the COVID-19 vaccines (51%). Additionally, 2 out of every 3 adults said they want to reminders to get second or missed doses.
A new normal: Most Americans (78%) believe that the COVID-19 vaccines will help combat the pandemic, but opinions are split on when – or even if – life will get back to "normal" even after vaccines are widely available. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans do not expect life to ever go back to normal. Women, lower-income earners, people without a college degree and those who say they will not get the vaccine are more likely to share this sentiment.

"These findings validate what we already know: a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for driving health actions – especially one as important as getting vaccinated against COVID-19," Gill added. "Unlike generic outreach programs, we are using predictive models to identify high-risk or hesitant individuals and deploy the right message via the right channels, including text, automated calls, postcards and more, that ultimately gets more people vaccinated."

Get the full survey findings and learn more by downloading This Is Your Shot: Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Right here.

About Welltok
Welltok drives consumer actions that matter. Only Welltok delivers solutions built on a single, secure platform that includes a massive consumer database, predictive analytics and multi-channel engagement that drives people to take actions. As the award-winning consumer activation company, healthcare organizations and others trust Welltok to activate their populations in meaningful ways. Watch this 90-second video to learn more.

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SOURCE Welltok, Inc.