Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project

L. B. Cottler; L. C. Rosales; V. L. Seegulam; L. Bilello; C. L.W. Striley; A. Ravenswood; Z. J. Martusewicz; C. E. Murphy; M. Eder; G. Mudd-Martin; L. J. O’Neal; J. Brown Speights; C. Lopez-Quintero; K. D. Everett; A. H. Strelnick; S. Aguilar-Gaxiola; H. Kitzman; J. A. McElroy; T. A. Millay; J. De Leon; L. Warneke; U. K. Weiss; C. O’Leary

doi:10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6

Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project

L. B. Cottler, L. C. Rosales, V. L. Seegulam, L. Bilello, C. L.W. Striley, A. Ravenswood, Z. J. Martusewicz, C. E. Murphy, M. Eder, G. Mudd-Martin, L. J. O’Neal, J. Brown Speights, C. Lopez-Quintero, K. D. Everett, A. H. Strelnick, S. Aguilar-Gaxiola, H. Kitzman, J. A. McElroy, T. A. Millay, J. De LeonL. Warneke, U. K. Weiss, C. O’Leary

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

Abstract

Objectives: To examine characteristics of personas related to vaccination via a multi-state survey, to better inform strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, foster trust, and promote equitable health outcomes across diverse communities. Methods: Through a CDC-funded initiative, the University of Florida coordinated and participated with eight partner institutions to increase vaccination uptake and address vaccination hesitancy through trust-building. PANDEMIC (Program to Alleviate National Disparities in Ethnic and Minority Immunizations in the Community) developed an anonymous Survey of Perceptions (SoP), which assessed community perspectives on vaccination. Associations examined persona and gender, state where the interview was conducted, rurality, race/ethnicity, COVID-19 vaccination status, and trusted sources of vaccination information. Results: From September 18, 2023, to October 3, 2024, over 5,500 participants were surveyed through the SoP to assess general viewpoints on vaccination, with five personas characterized: Enthusiast (58.6%), Watchful (21.0%), Cost-Anxious (10.0%), Skeptic (6.2%), and System Distruster (4.2%). Group comparisons were made using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test for continuous variables, and Chi-square tests for categorical variables to assess associations between demographic characteristics and vaccination personas. Conclusions: Understanding vaccination personas and their predictors may provide a framework for designing targeted public health interventions. By addressing the distinct concerns and motivations of each persona, public health strategies promote equitable health outcomes and increase vaccine uptake across diverse populations.

Original language	English
Article number	326
Journal	Discover public health
Volume	22
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6
State	Published - Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.

Funding

This work was accomplished through the support of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-IP21-2113-NU21IP000597, L.B. Cottler, PI. The contents are those of the authors and do not represent official views of, nor an endorsement, by the CDC, Health and Human Services (HHS), or the U.S. Government. This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards to the University of Florida UL1 TR001427 and TL1 TR001428.

Funders	Funder number
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Florida AandM University and Florida State University	UL1 TR001427, TL1 TR001428
Florida AandM University and Florida State University

Keywords

Community engagement
Vaccination personas
Vaccination status
Vaccine hesitancy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Epidemiology

UN SDGs

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

Access to Document

10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6

Cite this

Cottler, L. B., Rosales, L. C., Seegulam, V. L., Bilello, L., Striley, C. L. W., Ravenswood, A., Martusewicz, Z. J., Murphy, C. E., Eder, M., Mudd-Martin, G., O’Neal, L. J., Brown Speights, J., Lopez-Quintero, C., Everett, K. D., Strelnick, A. H., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Kitzman, H., McElroy, J. A., Millay, T. A., ... O’Leary, C. (2025). Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project. Discover public health, 22(1), Article 326. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6

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title = "Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project",

abstract = "Objectives: To examine characteristics of personas related to vaccination via a multi-state survey, to better inform strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, foster trust, and promote equitable health outcomes across diverse communities. Methods: Through a CDC-funded initiative, the University of Florida coordinated and participated with eight partner institutions to increase vaccination uptake and address vaccination hesitancy through trust-building. PANDEMIC (Program to Alleviate National Disparities in Ethnic and Minority Immunizations in the Community) developed an anonymous Survey of Perceptions (SoP), which assessed community perspectives on vaccination. Associations examined persona and gender, state where the interview was conducted, rurality, race/ethnicity, COVID-19 vaccination status, and trusted sources of vaccination information. Results: From September 18, 2023, to October 3, 2024, over 5,500 participants were surveyed through the SoP to assess general viewpoints on vaccination, with five personas characterized: Enthusiast (58.6\%), Watchful (21.0\%), Cost-Anxious (10.0\%), Skeptic (6.2\%), and System Distruster (4.2\%). Group comparisons were made using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test for continuous variables, and Chi-square tests for categorical variables to assess associations between demographic characteristics and vaccination personas. Conclusions: Understanding vaccination personas and their predictors may provide a framework for designing targeted public health interventions. By addressing the distinct concerns and motivations of each persona, public health strategies promote equitable health outcomes and increase vaccine uptake across diverse populations.",

keywords = "Community engagement, Vaccination personas, Vaccination status, Vaccine hesitancy",

author = "Cottler, \{L. B.\} and Rosales, \{L. C.\} and Seegulam, \{V. L.\} and L. Bilello and Striley, \{C. L.W.\} and A. Ravenswood and Martusewicz, \{Z. J.\} and Murphy, \{C. E.\} and M. Eder and G. Mudd-Martin and O{\textquoteright}Neal, \{L. J.\} and \{Brown Speights\}, J. and C. Lopez-Quintero and Everett, \{K. D.\} and Strelnick, \{A. H.\} and S. Aguilar-Gaxiola and H. Kitzman and McElroy, \{J. A.\} and Millay, \{T. A.\} and \{De Leon\}, J. and L. Warneke and Weiss, \{U. K.\} and C. O{\textquoteright}Leary",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

journal = "Discover public health",

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Cottler, LB, Rosales, LC, Seegulam, VL, Bilello, L, Striley, CLW, Ravenswood, A, Martusewicz, ZJ, Murphy, CE, Eder, M, Mudd-Martin, G, O’Neal, LJ, Brown Speights, J, Lopez-Quintero, C, Everett, KD, Strelnick, AH, Aguilar-Gaxiola, S, Kitzman, H, McElroy, JA, Millay, TA, De Leon, J, Warneke, L, Weiss, UK & O’Leary, C 2025, 'Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project', Discover public health, vol. 22, no. 1, 326. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00703-6

TY - JOUR

T1 - Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas

T2 - data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project

AU - Cottler, L. B.

AU - Rosales, L. C.

AU - Seegulam, V. L.

AU - Bilello, L.

AU - Striley, C. L.W.

AU - Ravenswood, A.

AU - Martusewicz, Z. J.

AU - Murphy, C. E.

AU - Eder, M.

AU - Mudd-Martin, G.

AU - O’Neal, L. J.

AU - Brown Speights, J.

AU - Lopez-Quintero, C.

AU - Everett, K. D.

AU - Strelnick, A. H.

AU - Aguilar-Gaxiola, S.

AU - Kitzman, H.

AU - McElroy, J. A.

AU - Millay, T. A.

AU - De Leon, J.

AU - Warneke, L.

AU - Weiss, U. K.

AU - O’Leary, C.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Objectives: To examine characteristics of personas related to vaccination via a multi-state survey, to better inform strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, foster trust, and promote equitable health outcomes across diverse communities. Methods: Through a CDC-funded initiative, the University of Florida coordinated and participated with eight partner institutions to increase vaccination uptake and address vaccination hesitancy through trust-building. PANDEMIC (Program to Alleviate National Disparities in Ethnic and Minority Immunizations in the Community) developed an anonymous Survey of Perceptions (SoP), which assessed community perspectives on vaccination. Associations examined persona and gender, state where the interview was conducted, rurality, race/ethnicity, COVID-19 vaccination status, and trusted sources of vaccination information. Results: From September 18, 2023, to October 3, 2024, over 5,500 participants were surveyed through the SoP to assess general viewpoints on vaccination, with five personas characterized: Enthusiast (58.6%), Watchful (21.0%), Cost-Anxious (10.0%), Skeptic (6.2%), and System Distruster (4.2%). Group comparisons were made using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test for continuous variables, and Chi-square tests for categorical variables to assess associations between demographic characteristics and vaccination personas. Conclusions: Understanding vaccination personas and their predictors may provide a framework for designing targeted public health interventions. By addressing the distinct concerns and motivations of each persona, public health strategies promote equitable health outcomes and increase vaccine uptake across diverse populations.

AB - Objectives: To examine characteristics of personas related to vaccination via a multi-state survey, to better inform strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, foster trust, and promote equitable health outcomes across diverse communities. Methods: Through a CDC-funded initiative, the University of Florida coordinated and participated with eight partner institutions to increase vaccination uptake and address vaccination hesitancy through trust-building. PANDEMIC (Program to Alleviate National Disparities in Ethnic and Minority Immunizations in the Community) developed an anonymous Survey of Perceptions (SoP), which assessed community perspectives on vaccination. Associations examined persona and gender, state where the interview was conducted, rurality, race/ethnicity, COVID-19 vaccination status, and trusted sources of vaccination information. Results: From September 18, 2023, to October 3, 2024, over 5,500 participants were surveyed through the SoP to assess general viewpoints on vaccination, with five personas characterized: Enthusiast (58.6%), Watchful (21.0%), Cost-Anxious (10.0%), Skeptic (6.2%), and System Distruster (4.2%). Group comparisons were made using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test for continuous variables, and Chi-square tests for categorical variables to assess associations between demographic characteristics and vaccination personas. Conclusions: Understanding vaccination personas and their predictors may provide a framework for designing targeted public health interventions. By addressing the distinct concerns and motivations of each persona, public health strategies promote equitable health outcomes and increase vaccine uptake across diverse populations.

KW - Community engagement

KW - Vaccination personas

KW - Vaccination status

KW - Vaccine hesitancy

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Characteristics of persons with varying vaccination personas: data from the CDC-funded PANDEMIC project

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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