Week 4

Welcome back to my blog! This week, I continued on the data analysis I had started last week. During this process, I was able to learn new analyses and begin to observe some of the differences from pre and post intervention. Through this analysis, I have begun to develop a greater understanding of decision making, particularly in regards to vaccination for both the flu and COVID-19. Looking at people’s intentions and beliefs as well as how they differ between the flu and COVID-19 is interesting and important to contributing to the existing discourse surrounding vaccines, and combating misinformation. While there has been substantive literature on the flu vaccine due to its long-standing existence, the COVID-19 vaccine is relatively newer, with concerns surrounding the speed at which the vaccine was developed. Therefore, for some, there is still uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine which can lead to greater hesitance to get vaccinated. Additionally, the flux of misinformation spread by certain groups perpetuates greater uncertainty and confusion around the benefits of the vaccine. Therefore, by observing these effects of the presentation of information, we can better understand adolescents’ perceptions of risks about these different threats to public health, which can better inform us of why adolescents make certain health decisions, specifically for vaccinations. This is important because while adolescents may not necessarily be of the highest risk, the benefits of their vaccination extend beyond their own health to other population groups. Therefore, improving upon the presentation of information through these analyses can allow us to better protect vulnerable groups. In the coming weeks, I am looking forward to delving further into the data. Check back next week for updates!