COVID-19 Vaccine Politicization Fueled Hesitancy, Impacted Vulnerable Groups

The politicization of COVID-19 vaccines has deepened distrust in public health, fueling hesitancy1 that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities. As misinformation spreads and policy divides widen, the consequences extend beyond individual choice—driving disparities in disease outbreaks, hospitalizations, and long-term health outcomes.2

Vaccine hesitancy and higher rates of school vaccine exemptions increases the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases, creating a significant health risk for vulnerable populations. | neirfy - stock.adobe.com

In a recent move, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began terminating at least 33 research grants focused on vaccine hesitancy and strategies to improve vaccine uptake, signaling a shift in funding priorities aligned with the policies of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a known vaccine skeptic.3

Therefore, it has become even more crucial to understand the impact of vaccine hesitancy in the US to reduce access burdens and mitigate deadly disease outbreaks.

How COVID-19 Became Politicized

Five years after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, vaccines remain a crucial tool. Early mRNA vaccine trials by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech led to rapid FDA emergency use authorization in 2020, with Pfizer-BioNTech gaining full approval in 2021. However, the vaccine quickly became politicized, with misinformation and political rhetoric shaping public attitudes and creating deep divides in vaccine acceptance.

In 2020, during his first term in office, President Donald Trump launched Operation Warp Speed to expedite vaccine development, but concerns over safety emerged4, particularly as the vaccine became politically charged during the election. Media narratives contributed to skepticism, with Republicans showing more vaccine hesitancy, especially when the information came from nonpartisan sources, according to a study that re-examined previous findings on political affiliation’s impact on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The study found a significant link between higher Republican affiliation and lower vaccination rates.5

“Despite controlling for alternative explanations of hesitancy, there was a statistically significant relationship between the percentage of Republican supporters and rates of vaccine hesitancy,” wrote the researchers of the study. “The higher the Republican affiliation, the lower the vaccination rates.”

Vaccine Hesitancy and Misinformation

Misinformation on social media has significantly contributed to growing vaccine hesitancy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.6 The study, published in BMJ, explored how the rapid spread of false vaccine-related information has outpaced efforts to address it. While countermeasures such as debunking or "prebunking" misinformation have been implemented, their effectiveness in changing real-world behaviors has been inconsistent. Antivaccine messages targeting various vaccines, including COVID-19 and childhood vaccines, have increased, contributing to a global decline in vaccination rates.

Similarly, a separate study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health examined the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines, according to a news release.7 The research found that 11% of parents believed vaccines were less safe, 12% saw them as less important, and 13% viewed them as less effective compared with pre-pandemic views. Despite these negative shifts, the study also revealed that many parents had more positive beliefs post-rollout, highlighting the importance of targeted communication and trusted health care providers to improve vaccine uptake.

However, Kennedy's vaccine stance could further contribute to declining vaccination rates through his leadership at HHS.8 Despite distancing himself from his past antivaccine rhetoric during his confirmation, his prior actions, including advocating for vaccine exemptions and criticizing the childhood vaccination schedule, may undermine public trust and exacerbate vaccine hesitancy.

The Disproportionate Impact on Certain Populations

Earlier this week, the NIH abruptly terminated 33 grants studying vaccine hesitancy and strategies to increase vaccine uptake.3 Several of the terminated grants, particularly from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, were designed to increase vaccine uptake among racial minorities. These studies focused on vaccines for diseases such as human papillomavirus, mpox, and COVID-19, as well as disease outbreak modeling that accounted for vaccine hesitancy in minority communities. As vaccine hesitancy persists, particularly among underserved groups, the reduction of funding for research aimed at improving vaccine confidence could exacerbate disparities in health outcomes. The timing of these cuts is especially concerning, as the US is experiencing a measles outbreak9, with many of the affected individuals being unvaccinated, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities.

The termination letter seen by Science said their awards "no longer effectuates agency priorities. It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focus on gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment,” according to CIDRAP.10

References

1. Alemi F, Lee KH. Impact of political leaning on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A network-based multiple mediation analysis. Cureus. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.7759/cureus.43232

2. Osama T. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable populations: Leaving no one behind. The Health Policy Partnership. November 1, 2021. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://www.healthpolicypartnership.com/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-in-vulnerable-populations-leaving-no-one-behind/

3. Reardon S. NIH to ax grants on vaccine hesitancy. Science. March 10, 2025. Accessed March 12, 2025. https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-ax-grants-vaccine-hesitancy-mrna-vaccines

4. Dell'Oca M. Operation warp speed. Anthropology News. December 22, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://www.anthropology-news.org/articles/operation-warp-speed/

5. Bolsen T, Palm R. Politicization and COVID-19 vaccine resistance in the U.S. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science. Published online November 10, 2021. doi:10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.10.002

6. Ruggeri K, Vanderslott S, Yamada Y, et al. Behavioral interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation on social media. BMJ. Published online January 16, 2024. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076542

7. The pandemic’s role in shaping parents’ attitudes toward vaccines. University of Michigan School of Public Health. January 8, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://sph.umich.edu/news/2024posts/the-pandemics-role-in-shaping-parents-attitude-toward-vaccines.html

8. Constantino AK. RFK Jr. could further deter childhood vaccinations as rates fall in the US. CNBC. March 9, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/09/rfk-jr-could-further-deter-childhood-vaccinations-as-us-rates-fall.html

9. Shmerling RH. Measles is making a comeback: Can we stop it? Harvard Health Publishing. March 7, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/measles-is-making-a-comeback-can-we-stop-it-202503063091#:~:text=As%20I%20write%20this%2C%20there,in%20the%20US%20since%202015

10. Schnirring L. NIH cuts research grants on vaccine hesitancy—with mRNA vaccine studies the next target. CIDRAP. March 11, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2025. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science/nih-cuts-research-grants-vaccine-hesitancy-mrna-vaccine-studies-next-target