VectorED Network · Evaluation Programs
Lyme Disease Vaccine Messaging
Investigating public perceptions toward a new Lyme disease vaccine and developing communication tools to promote vaccine acceptance and uptake.
About This Project
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 people infected annually. Despite this significant public health burden, prevention options remain limited. One potential measure to reduce Lyme disease is a vaccine, but little is known about current public perceptions and how these will shape intentions to get vaccinated.
In collaboration with Penn State Extension, the Penn State Survey Research Center, and the Department of Communication, Arts and Sciences, this project will investigate people's attitudes, opinions, and intentions toward a new Lyme disease vaccine through an integrated approach combining extension, entomology, communication, and public health.
Photo: MasterTux, Pixabay
What Are the Goals of This Project?
Understanding Perceptions to Build Better Communication
This project aims to investigate public perceptions, attitudes, and preferences toward a potential new Lyme disease vaccine and use these insights to develop effective communication tools and resources that promote vaccine acceptance and uptake.
Specific Objectives
Understand factors influencing people's intentions, motivations, and preferences regarding the Lyme disease vaccine through qualitative and quantitative research methods including focus groups and surveys.
Explore people's use associations and mental models regarding the Lyme disease vaccine and how those fit into their broader tick-borne disease prevention strategies.
Use research findings on attitudes, motivations, and preferences to create educational materials, guidelines, and best practices for communicating about the Lyme disease vaccine.
Disseminate communication materials widely to key communities, including individuals at high risk of Lyme disease, healthcare providers, and Extension educators.
Evaluate the impact of the communication materials on awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and intended behaviors related to the Lyme disease vaccine.
Lyme Disease Vaccine Messaging Workplan
Focus Groups and Survey
Communication Tool Testing
Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Project Outputs
Publications
Cruz Crespo, Y., S. M. Cruz, E. D. Struckhoff, M. Tejada de Rivero Sawers, E. T. Machtinger. Predicting Lyme Disease Vaccine Intentions: Examining Subjective and Objective Risk Among Residents of Endemic Areas. Journal of Health Communication.
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