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What actually changes hearts (and/or minds) on vaccination

Sometimes when it feels like nothing is working, it's because everything is.

James Hamblin

Sep 30, 2021
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This new Kaiser Family Foundation survey is interesting. I thought it might be useful to share since I know a lot of you still have family or friends or neighbors who won't get vaccinated, and it can feel like there's no point in trying to help change their mind.

This chart breaks down the reasons given by people who chose to get vaccinated only after June 1. So, people who didn't do it immediately, but who ultimately decided to do their part.

My takeaway is mostly from the second column: None of these approaches work very well in isolation. Hesitant people don't get vaccinated because of one "main" reason, so much as because of a gradual accretion of reasons. They add up to eventually create the necessary urgency and eventually tip us toward responsible action.

That's how we are with most big decisions in life. The idea of an "ah ha" moment or a single conversation that made you decide to marry someone or move to Alaska or go to medical school ... those stories are compelling, but usually our revelations are not so dramatic. This one is no different.

Point being, small things matter, even if you don't see the impact right away. If you've had conversations with friends or family—or even just shared an article or study, or sent simple notes to people you know saying you care about them and hope they'll reconsider—and yet you don't feel it helped, you're not alone. And ultimately it still may help. You just might not know what part you played.

—

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45 Comments

  • Catherine Ortiz
    I'm getting so tired of all this BS about getting a vaccine for COVID. I think it should be up to individuals ( religious beliefs / health) if they want to get the shot. But if you chose not to get it, please continue to wear face coverings.
    And conti…
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    • 33w
  • Tammy Rutz
    1) No one has answered three big question… “What is in the vaccine?”
    2) Why when you send the vaccine to places to administer is it NOT accompanied by documentation?
    ie.. the insert which states possible side effects dosage and administration, chemical breakdown etc… s as opposed to just the glass vials in a plate plastic bag?
    3) How can you make something so quickly that has NOT been completely tested for our safety…then tell us it IS 100% safe for every single person on the planet???
    4) COVID I will admit is a virus that can be debilitating with those that have pre-existing conditions and elderly…just like H1N1 (Flu).. why are you not pushing the Flu vaccine since it has killed more than COVID??
    5) If COVID (in your opinion without hard facts) is so dangerous, why are you allowing these illegals to flood our country???
    6) Herd Immunity!!!!
    7) There are OTC drugs and homeopathic alternatives that have proven to help with Sx of of Covid, Flu…why have you threatened and tied the hands of Physicians when they are fully capable of prescribing the correct treatment!
    😎 PHI Protected Health Information..NOONE should know who has or who has not received ANY medical treatment!!! That is a Federal Law!!!
    I could go on but I think you get the point…don’t get me started on your Mask mandates!!!
    If you truly want to wear a mask, go ahead but just know unless it is a TRUE N95 that has been properly FIT TESTED…you are doing absolutely nothing to help yourself or those around you!!!
    As a Nurse who travels and performs Covid testing, Fit Testing, Flu vaccines I talk to people and it is truly amazing how many people are falling for a lot of this incorrect information! If you truly want to know about the ICU’s, just go see for yourself…
    Most patients tested are fully vaccinated, and positive!!
    Rant Over!!!
    • 33w
  • Luna Tuna
    Not a consistent, honest fact written about these vaccines. no research studies on pregnancy and breastfeeding. Children are doing well with herd immunity, however they push this vax. in our facility the majority of really sick patients were fully vacc…
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    • 33w
    2 Replies
  • Ron Carleton
    I like their reasoning for getting the shot. You’ll be “doing your part“. I don’t understand how difficult this is for 70% of this country to understand that we should have a choice in what we put into our bodies. Like everyone else I’ve had all …
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    • 33w
  • Deborah Kuzyk
    I have no intention of getting the jab. i have no intention of being a Guinea pig for this experiment. God has blessed me with an excellent immune system, I can't remember the last time I was ill. My daughter and granddaughter both work at a healthc…
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    • 33w
    3 Replies
  • Andrew Ball
    How is it that 36.5 of 38 comments on this are defiantly oppositional to what the owner of the blog stands for? How has James Hamblin amassed so many haters as followers?
    • 33w
    1 Reply
  • John Rheuark Clinton
    I find two things here notable:
    1) that you seem to think those who were "delayed vaxers" will be in any way similar to those who remain unvaxed (conflation error), and
    2) that someone deciding to get a specific kind of medical care is "doing their p…
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    3
    • 33w
  • Cory Will
    wrong again. i wont get it because i dont need it. no survey no celebrity no amount of propaganda.. and damn sire no employer will make me get it.
    3
    • 33w
  • Leslie MacIntosh
    The Constitution is not a suicide pact guaranteeing a right to harm others. The government has latitude to protect citizens from deadly conditions, especially when the science supporting vaccination is so clear. The government may prohibit otherwise c…
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    • 33w
    3 Replies
  • Chris Rash
    A vital component of being an American is freedom and medical freedom is vital component too my pursuit of happiness.
    • 33w
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