Stemming the tide of distrust: A mixed-methods study of vaccine hesitancy

Public distrust in the US pandemic response has significantly hindered its effectiveness. In this community-based participatory research mixed-methods study, based on two datasets, we examined how distrust in COVID-19 vaccines relates to institutional distrust. We found that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause undermined trust in COVID-19 vaccines in general. Findings also suggest that vaccine distrust developed after participating in a study on COVID-19 testing. Increased distrust may be an unintended consequence of how healthcare and public health activities are presented and delivered, and research participation is structured. Both will continue without proactively addressing the root causes of distrust.