URBANA, Ill. – Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decline in U.S. vaccine uptake, while widespread misinformation and distrust make it challenging to craft effective public health responses. In a new paper , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers discuss three case studies exemplifying different vaccine attitudes and behaviors. Their findings underscore the need for flexible approaches to reach diverse audiences with disease prevention strategies.
The three cases were selected from a larger study of parents and childcare providers, conducted to investigate their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their adherence to public health guidelines.
“We were looking at different clusters of responses in our data set, and we selected three individuals who represented different types of decision making for vaccine uptake. They range from distrustful and resistant, through reluctant, to accepting and adopting,“ said lead author Jacinda K. Dariotis , professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and director of the Family Resiliency Center , both part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. She is also a Health Innovation Professor in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine .
“We really wanted to come in from a place of curiosity and get to the heart of what motivates people. Sometimes it’s past experiences or concern for vulnerable individuals, and it can be rationally or emotionally driven. We wanted to understand people’s value system, and their risk and reward structure,” Dariotis stated.
Taking this approach to research – nonjudgmental curiosity and respect that participants are experts of their own experience – fosters trust and hearing the voices of those with non-normative beliefs and behaviors, she noted.
The research team examined three case studies:
“Each of these people comes from a different perspective, and we need to respect their individual decision-making processes. But it’s important to note there are also similarities across them. They all want to do what they believe to be the best thing for themselves and their families,” Dariotis stated.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to public health challenges, she noted. Understanding people’s value systems, and their risk and reward considerations, can help inform policy recommendations. Precision prevention in public health – tailored communication campaigns, services, and programs – is needed.
“Some people won’t be receptive to certain things, and that’s perfectly within their rights. There is more than one way to be protective and keep people safe. We have to look at how people want to live, what their goals and intentions are, and then help them figure out how to make that happen,” Dariotis concluded.
The researchers plan to conduct additional analyses of the dataset in forthcoming papers.
The paper , “Distrust, trauma, doubt, and protective reactions to coronavirus disease 2019: Cautionary tales and lessons to learn for future pandemics: A case report,” is published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports [DOI: 10.1186/s13256-025-05162-w ]. Authors include Jacinda Dariotis, Dana Eldreth, Stephanie Sloane, Iffat Noor, and Rebecca Lee Smith.
Journal of Medical Case Reports
Case study
People
Distrust, trauma, doubt, and protective reactions to coronavirus disease 2019: Cautionary tales and lessons to learn for future pandemics: A case report,
21-Mar-2025