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

The COVID-19 Infection Survey team

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2

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

The COVID-19 Infection Survey team

Office for National Statistics
University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division
Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School
The Francis Crick Institute
University College London
Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Hammersmith Campus
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University of Manchester
Imperial College London
IQVIA UK
National Biocentre
Glasgow Lighthouse Laboratory
Department of Health and Social Care
Welsh Government (Llywodraeth Cymru)
Scottish Government (Riaghaltas na h-Alba)
Public Health Scotland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Article number	8441
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2

Cite this

@article{7333c6a1145f4424b71ec00f854d1892,

title = "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, 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{\textemdash}adjusting for variation in mitigation policies{\textemdash}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.",

author = "\{The COVID-19 Infection Survey team\} and John Buckell and Joel Jones and Matthews, \{Philippa C.\} and Diamond, \{Sir Ian\} and Emma Rourke and Ruth Studley and Duncan Cook and Walker, \{Ann Sarah\} and Pouwels, \{Koen B.\} and Tina Thomas and Daniel Ayoubkhani and Russell Black and Antonio Felton and Megan Crees and Joel Jones and Lina Lloyd and Esther Sutherland and Emma Pritchard and Vihta, \{Karina Doris\} and George Doherty and James Kavanagh and Chau, \{Kevin K.\} and Hatch, \{Stephanie B.\} and Daniel Ebner and Ferreira, \{Lucas Martins\} and Thomas Christott and Wanwisa Dejnirattisai and Juthathip Mongkolsapaya and Sarah Cameron and Phoebe Tamblin-Hopper and Magda Wolna and Rachael Brown and Richard Cornall and Gavin Screaton and Stuart Cox and Kevin Paddon and Tim James and Thomas House and Julie Robotham and Paul Birrell and Helena Jordan and Tim Sheppard and Graham Athey and Dan Moody and Leigh Curry and Pamela Brereton and Ian Jarvis and Anna Godsmark and George Morris and Bobby Mallick",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s).",

year = "2023",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2",

language = "English",

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AU - The COVID-19 Infection Survey team

AU - Buckell, John

AU - Jones, Joel

AU - Matthews, Philippa C.

AU - Diamond, Sir Ian

AU - Rourke, Emma

AU - Studley, Ruth

AU - Cook, Duncan

AU - Walker, Ann Sarah

AU - Pouwels, Koen B.

AU - Thomas, Tina

AU - Ayoubkhani, Daniel

AU - Black, Russell

AU - Felton, Antonio

AU - Crees, Megan

AU - Jones, Joel

AU - Lloyd, Lina

AU - Sutherland, Esther

AU - Pritchard, Emma

AU - Vihta, Karina Doris

AU - Doherty, George

AU - Kavanagh, James

AU - Chau, Kevin K.

AU - Hatch, Stephanie B.

AU - Ebner, Daniel

AU - Ferreira, Lucas Martins

AU - Christott, Thomas

AU - Dejnirattisai, Wanwisa

AU - Mongkolsapaya, Juthathip

AU - Cameron, Sarah

AU - Tamblin-Hopper, Phoebe

AU - Wolna, Magda

AU - Brown, Rachael

AU - Cornall, Richard

AU - Screaton, Gavin

AU - Cox, Stuart

AU - Paddon, Kevin

AU - James, Tim

AU - House, Thomas

AU - Robotham, Julie

AU - Birrell, Paul

AU - Jordan, Helena

AU - Sheppard, Tim

AU - Athey, Graham

AU - Moody, Dan

AU - Curry, Leigh

AU - Brereton, Pamela

AU - Jarvis, Ian

AU - Godsmark, Anna

AU - Morris, George

AU - Mallick, Bobby

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85160434892

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2

DO - 10.1038/s41598-023-34244-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 37231004

AN - SCOPUS:85160434892

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 13

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

M1 - 8441

ER -

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

Abstract

UN SDGs

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