COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK
Abstract The physiological effects of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are well documented, yet the behavioural effects not well known. Risk compensation suggests that gains in personal safety, as a result of vaccination, are offset by increases in risky behaviour, such as socialising, comm...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2 |
| _version_ | 1797818062728069120 |
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| author | John Buckell Joel Jones Philippa C. Matthews Sir Ian Diamond Emma Rourke Ruth Studley Duncan Cook Ann Sarah Walker Koen B. Pouwels the COVID-19 Infection Survey Team |
| author_facet | John Buckell Joel Jones Philippa C. Matthews Sir Ian Diamond Emma Rourke Ruth Studley Duncan Cook Ann Sarah Walker Koen B. Pouwels the COVID-19 Infection Survey Team |
| author_sort | John Buckell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The physiological effects of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are well documented, yet the behavioural effects not well known. Risk compensation suggests that gains in personal safety, as a result of vaccination, are offset by increases in risky behaviour, such as socialising, commuting and working outside the home. This is potentially important because transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is driven by contacts, which could be amplified by vaccine-related risk compensation. Here, we show that behaviours were overall unrelated to personal vaccination, but—adjusting for variation in mitigation policies—were responsive to the level of vaccination in the wider population: individuals in the UK were risk compensating when rates of vaccination were rising. This effect was observed across four nations of the UK, each of which varied policies autonomously. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63d7f2253e9b42d9884992621980ef9d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-63d7f2253e9b42d9884992621980ef9d2023-05-28T11:14:56ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-05-0113111510.1038/s41598-023-34244-2COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UKJohn Buckell0Joel Jones1Philippa C. Matthews2Sir Ian Diamond3Emma Rourke4Ruth Studley5Duncan Cook6Ann Sarah Walker7Koen B. Pouwels8the COVID-19 Infection Survey Team9Health Economics Research Centre, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of OxfordOffice for National StatisticsThe Francis Crick InstituteOffice for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsOffice for National StatisticsThe National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of OxfordHealth Economics Research Centre, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of OxfordOffice for National StatisticsAbstract The physiological effects of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are well documented, yet the behavioural effects not well known. Risk compensation suggests that gains in personal safety, as a result of vaccination, are offset by increases in risky behaviour, such as socialising, commuting and working outside the home. This is potentially important because transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is driven by contacts, which could be amplified by vaccine-related risk compensation. Here, we show that behaviours were overall unrelated to personal vaccination, but—adjusting for variation in mitigation policies—were responsive to the level of vaccination in the wider population: individuals in the UK were risk compensating when rates of vaccination were rising. This effect was observed across four nations of the UK, each of which varied policies autonomously.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2 |
| spellingShingle | John Buckell Joel Jones Philippa C. Matthews Sir Ian Diamond Emma Rourke Ruth Studley Duncan Cook Ann Sarah Walker Koen B. Pouwels the COVID-19 Infection Survey Team COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK Scientific Reports |
| title | COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK |
| title_full | COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK |
| title_short | COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK |
| title_sort | covid 19 vaccination risk compensatory behaviours and contacts in the uk |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2 |
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