CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – Since the COVID-19 pandemic, declining vaccine uptake in the U.S. has been accompanied by growing distrust and misinformation—complicating efforts to protect public health. A new study from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers highlights how understanding people’s personal motivations and values is essential to crafting effective and respectful health messaging.
Published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the study presents three in-depth case studies drawn from a larger project on parents and childcare providers’ pandemic experiences. The cases represent a spectrum of vaccine attitudes—from distrustful and resistant to fully accepting.
“We were looking for representative examples of different decision-making types,” said lead author Dr. Jacinda K. Dariotis, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and director of the Family Resiliency Center. “Each person has their own risk-reward structure and value system. We approached this work with curiosity, not judgment.”
The first case is a 56-year-old divorced white woman and former nurse who declined the COVID-19 vaccine due to adverse past experiences and spiritual beliefs. Despite her vaccine resistance, she followed other safety measures like masking and distancing. The second case features a 51-year-old Black woman who directs a childcare center. Although she supports routine childhood vaccinations, she reluctantly took the COVID-19 vaccine under employment pressure and later experienced health issues she attributed to the shot, leading to increased skepticism. The third case is a 38-year-old white man working in risk management who embraces science and data. He and his family received all COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, guided by what he saw as rational, informed decision-making.
“All three individuals want to do what they believe is right for their families,” Dariotis said. “That common thread is what public health communication must build on.”
The researchers argue that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, what’s needed is precision prevention—customized communication and interventions that respect people’s lived experiences and goals.
“Some people won’t respond to broad mandates or messaging. And that’s okay,” Dariotis said. “Public health needs to meet people where they are, listen to what matters to them, and work with—not against—their values.”COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, public health, UIUC, Jacinda Dariotis, vaccine attitudes, precision prevention, family health, child care, misinformation, health communication, pandemic response, behavioral science, risk perception, University of Illinois