What Strategy Is Better for Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination? A Comparison Between Gain-Framed, Loss-Framed, and Altruistic Messages

Gong, Zepeng; Tang, Zhiwei; Li, Jie

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Vaccination is an efficient public health strategy for controlling infectious diseases like the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study evaluates the effect of gain-framed, loss-framed, and altruism messages on willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine and confirms the best strategy for promoting vaccination. METHODS: Herein, we designed an online survey experiment, including a control (exposure to non-framed information) and three experimental (exposure to gain-framed, loss-framed, or altruistic messages) groups, to assess the vaccination willingness. All participants (n = 1316) were randomly assigned into one of the four groups. RESULTS: The individuals exposed to gain-framed, loss-framed, or altruism messages exhibited a higher willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine than those exposed to non-framed information. Moreover, the loss-framed information effect on vaccination willingness was more substantial than the other two messages. However, no significant difference was observed between the gain-framed and altruism messages. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a loss-framed information dissemination strategy could be preferable to motivate vaccination willingness against COVID-19.