Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The disparity no one talks about: COVID vaccines and men

Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH
Conditions
May 9, 2021
Share
Tweet
Share

As an epidemiologist and former public health official, I’ve noticed a lot of coverage in the news about  COVID vaccine hesitancy issues in BIPOC communities, and I, like many other clinicians, am working hard to address those issues.  But there is one demographic that I’ve seen very little discussion on –  men.  And with the news that vaccination rates are slowing in the U.S., and that, as a result of vaccine hesitancy, we might never achieve herd immunity, maybe it’s time to take a look at this group.  Recently, a national poll found that nearly half of men who identified as Republican were hesitant to get COVID vaccines. This may be even more pronounced in rural areas.   And in polls of Black communities, 45 percent of Black men have expressed that they want to “wait and see” before they get the vaccine.   Meanwhile, recent data suggest that vaccine hesitancy in the military, which is predominantly male, is quite high, with as much as 40 percent refusing vaccination in some military branches.

Why does this matter?

Men are much more likely than women to have severe COVID-related illnesses, including hospitalization and death. In addition, there have been studies suggesting that becoming infected with coronavirus may impact men’s fertility (as opposed to getting the vaccine, which should not); so vaccination is really the best way for men to protect themselves. It’s also the best way for them to protect everyone around them: their wives, children, parents, etc. And, since men represent about half the population, the likelihood of us ever achieving herd immunity and ending this pandemic is lower if we can’t convince men in certain communities to get vaccinated.

So what can we do about this?

Bring it up consistently. Health care providers should bring up COVID vaccines whenever they speak to male patients. Explore their concerns, use motivational interviewing techniques to understand their reasons for hesitancy, and be open about what we know and don’t know. Health care providers are the most trusted source of vaccine information for most people, so arm yourself with the latest scientific information. And please share your own experience with vaccination, which increases both your credibility and transparency.

Change up the message. Public health messaging on vaccination often focuses on risks rather than benefits, which can offer little incentive to become vaccinated. So emphasize the perks of vaccination, like the ability to be unmasked indoors with other vaccinated people, or being able to travel without quarantine or testing, or being able to hug low-risk grandchildren. And rather than just focus on how vaccination protects others, emphasize the fact that as more people are vaccinated, the fewer rules and regulations we’ll all have to deal with. The main message is this –  “more vaccinations will equal more freedom.”  In a nation that tends to value individual liberty, this type of message is likely to resonate.

Incorporate women family members into the conversation: According to the Department of Labor, women make up to 80 percent of health care decisions on behalf of their families in the U.S. Some have dubbed them the “chief medical officers” of their families, as they are often concerned with the preventive health of not only their children but their spouses, elderly parents, and other extended family.  Therefore, including wives and other authorized female family members in vaccine-related conversations may be pivotal in improving male vaccination rates.

Promote a culture of vaccination by posting pictures of vaccinated employees in your health care facility or having video clips of male influencers talk about their vaccination experience in waiting rooms or on your social media channels. Offering gender-specific vaccine Q&A sessions, addressing male infertility myths due to the COVID vaccine, and other issues, could be helpful as well. And encourage your patients to show off their vaccine selfies, especially your male patients. A Kaiser Foundation study found that people who wanted to get vaccinated were more likely to know someone who was vaccinated. So encourage your patients to spread the word. If you are offering the COVID vaccine in your facility, consider hanging a “Just Vaccinated!” backdrop/selfie station for patients to encourage sharing.

With the rise of new variants, and the leveling off of vaccination rates, health care providers need to address vaccine hesitancy wherever and whenever we see it.  And right now, we are seeing strong indicators that men are in need of our attention. By offering the right messaging and promoting a culture of vaccination, we just might be able to make a difference in this pandemic.

Tista S. Ghosh is an internal medicine physician and epidemiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com 

Prev

Asking patients to write letters illuminates new aspects of the physician-patient-family relationship

May 9, 2021 Kevin 1
…
Next

What to do when physicians get subpoenaed as witnesses: A forensic pathologist explains [PODCAST]

May 9, 2021 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Asking patients to write letters illuminates new aspects of the physician-patient-family relationship
Next Post >
What to do when physicians get subpoenaed as witnesses: A forensic pathologist explains [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH

  • Bird flu’s deadly return: Are we flying blind into the next pandemic?

    Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH
  • The time for preventive health is now

    Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH
  • Knowledge is power: Why science and health literacy matters

    Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH

Related Posts

  • To treat future COVID variants, we need more than vaccines

    Ian Chan, MBA
  • Major medical groups back mandatory COVID vaccine for health care workers

    Molly Walker
  • COVID-19 adds a new health care gap: internet disparity

    Sandra Swantek, MD and Magdalena Bednarczyk, MD
  • Is it time for a true federal COVID vaccine mandate?

    Shetal Shah, MD
  • The COVID vaccine selfie: The caption matters as much as the picture

    Alicia Billington, MD, PhD
  • COVID-19 divides and conquers

    Michele Luckenbaugh

More in Conditions

  • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

    Carlos Nunez, MD
  • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

    C. Nicole Swiner, MD
  • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

    Sarah White, APRN
  • How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is transforming mental health care

    Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD
  • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

    Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN
  • What if medicine had an exit interview?

    Lynn McComas, DNP, ANP-C
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The disparity no one talks about: COVID vaccines and men
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...