COVID Vaccine Hesitancy and Long-Term Traffic Risks.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Traffic Safety

Background:

• COVID vaccine hesitancy presents a conflict between individual choices and public health recommendations.
• This study investigates the potential association between COVID vaccine hesitancy and long-term traffic crash risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if COVID vaccine hesitancy correlates with an increased risk of traffic crashes.
• To quantify the magnitude of this association and identify associated factors.

Main Methods:

• A population-based longitudinal cohort study analyzed data from electronic medical records.
• COVID vaccination status was linked to emergency medical records for traffic crashes over one year.
• Artificial Intelligence techniques were employed for risk validation.

Main Results:

• Over 11.5 million individuals were analyzed; 1.2 million were unvaccinated against COVID.
• Unvaccinated individuals had a 58% higher risk of traffic crash injuries (6983 vs 4438 per million).
• Increased risks were observed across subgroups, for single-vehicle crashes, fatal outcomes, and persisted after adjustments.

Conclusions:

• COVID vaccine hesitancy is significantly associated with elevated long-term traffic crash risks.
• Raising awareness of these traffic risks could motivate individuals to adopt protective behaviors and consider vaccination.