Associations between vaccination beliefs and vaccination messaging, partisanship, and social vulnerability

Dan Totzkay, associate professor in the Department of Communication, contributed “Building on West Virginia's innovative COVID-19 public health communication: associations between vaccination beliefs and vaccination messaging, partisanship, and social vulnerability” (Vaccine, July 2025) along with authors Julia Daisy Fraustino, Lisa M. Costello, Traci Jarrett and Alfgeir L. Kristjansson.

The study explores how communication strategies and political affiliation relate to COVID-19 vaccination beliefs among residents of West Virginia, a region with unique social vulnerabilities.

Using a theory-guided approach, the research examined vaccination-related beliefs in response to healthcare provider recommendations, vaccination campaign advertisements, and political partisanship. A cross-sectional survey of 756 West Virginia residents conducted online and via phone in January 2022 found that healthcare provider recommendations were consistently linked to stronger vaccination intentions. While politically liberal participants reported the strongest vaccination-related beliefs, politically moderate and conservative groups still demonstrated generally positive attitudes toward vaccination. Social vulnerability was largely unrelated to vaccination beliefs.

The study emphasizes the importance of tailoring public health messaging to population segments and trusted messengers, providing insights for effective communication strategies in rural and socially diverse communities.