Overconfidence might discourage vaccinations, MU researcher says
The study showed some students who felt invulnerable did not get vaccinated.
Published Aug. 6, 2009
Although vaccines for HIV, herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases are still in the developmental stage, a study by MU researcher Russell Ravert said students who feel invulnerable to physical harm would be unlikely to accept an HIV vaccine, even if one was available.
Factors that Ravert, an assistant professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, found in his research that might affect decisions included how threatened someone feels and how concerned they are about the potential infection or condition.
Ravert said factors, such as the cost, fear of needles, social stigmas of the vaccine and the opinions of other people can also play a role in their acceptance of the vaccine.
“Overall, we found that students who reported the riskiest behavior and were the most worried about contracting HIV were most likely to accept the vaccine,” Ravert said. “On the other hand, those students who also reported feeling invulnerable to physical harm — or invincible — and being especially concerned with other people’s opinions were less likely to accept the vaccine.”
Ravert said despite the stereotype that college students are known for feeling invincible or careless, it’s important to understand not all college students engage in high-risk behavior.
“Vaccines, like other preventative measures, are effective to the degree that people choose to use them,” Ravert said.
Despite the progress of research on whether students would use vaccines for STDs, such as HIV, Stefanos Sarafianos, an assistant professor in the School of Medicine, said the development of a vaccine itself is a work in progress.
“The challenges of a vaccine include how broadly effective it is, given the subtypes and high genetic variability and the safety and efficiency to ensure how long it will protect and how well,” Sarafianos said.
Sarafianos has been working in HIV research for 17 years and focuses mostly on the mechanisms of HIV drug resistance and the development of novel antivirals. He said though new potential vaccines are constantly in development, the possibility for one in the near future is bleak.
“The HIV vaccines are being re-examined from scratch,” Sarafianos said. “There is absolutely nothing remotely in sight.”