COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK

Buckell, J. et al. (2023) COVID-19 vaccination, risk-compensatory behaviours, and contacts in the UK. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 8441. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2) (PMID:37231004) (PMCID:PMC10209557)

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.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This COVID-19 Infection Survey is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care with in-kind support from the Welsh Government, the Department of Health on behalf of the Northern Ireland Government and the Scottish Government. JB is also supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. KBP and ASW are supported by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) (NIHR200915). ASW is also supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. KBP is also supported by the Huo Family Foundation. ASW is also supported by core support from the Medical Research Council UK to the MRC Clinical Trials Unit [MC_UU_12023/22] and is an NIHR Senior Investigator. PCM is funded by Wellcome (intermediate fellowship, grant ref 110110/Z/15/Z), core funding from the Crick Institute, and UCL NIHR Biomedical research Centre.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Conway, Professor David
• Authors: Buckell, J., Jones, J., Matthews, P. C., Diamond, S. I., Rourke, E., Studley, R., Cook, D., Walker, A. S., Pouwels, K. B., Thomas, T., Ayoubkhani, D., Black, R., Felton, A., Crees, M., Jones, J., Lloyd, L., Sutherland, E., Pritchard, E., Vihta, K.-D., Doherty, G., Kavanagh, J., Chau, K. K., Hatch, S. B., Ebner, D., Ferreira, L. M., Christott, T., Dejnirattisai, W., Mongkolsapaya, J., Cameron, S., Tamblin-Hopper, P., Wolna, M., Brown, R., Cornall, R., Screaton, G., Cox, S., Paddon, K., James, T., House, T., Robotham, J., Birrell, P., Jordan, H., Sheppard, T., Athey, G., Moody, D., Curry, L., Brereton, P., Jarvis, I., Godsmark, A., Morris, G., Mallick, B., Eeles, P., Hay, J., VanSteenhouse, H., Lee, J., White, S., Evans, T., Bloemberg, L., Allison, K., Pandya, A., Davis, S., Conway, D. I., MacLeod, M., Cunningham, C., Lythgoe, K., Bonsall, D., Golubchik, T., and Fryer, H.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Dental School
• Journal Name: Scientific Reports
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• ISSN (Online): 2045-2322
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Scientific Reports 13(1):8441
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License