A group of researchers at the University of Limerick has found that people who reported less social cohesion had a lower antibody response to the COVID-19 vaccine. The researchers used data from Understanding Society’s COVID-19 Survey which asked participants to supply a blood sample to see if they had antibodies in their blood after getting the vaccine.
They compared these results with data on social cohesion and loneliness, gathered by asking people how much, on a scale of 1-5, they agree with statements such as “people around here are willing to help their neighbours”, “people in this neighbourhood can be trusted”, and “I think of myself as similar to the people that live in this neighbourhood”. They also looked at data on how lonely people had felt in the four weeks before answering the survey.
Feeling more lonely was not in itself associated with the antibody response, but people who reported less social cohesion also reported higher levels of loneliness, and this in turn was associated with a poorer antibody response. However, the more antibodies a person makes the better the level of protection they have against hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
Previous research has shown a link between the influence of ‘psychosocial’ factors on immunity, but as far as the authors know, this is the first time anyone has looked at the question in relation to the Covid vaccine. The results suggest that a sense of social cohesion among the public could have a significant impact on how well the vaccine works.
Co-author of the research Orla Muldoon, Professor of Psychology at Limerick, was a member of the Irish government’s National Public Health Emergency Team, advising on the pandemic. She said, “Public and neighbourhood trust, social cohesion, and loneliness have all come to the fore during the pandemic. As well as the findings of this study showing their role in antibody responses, trust and cohesion have also been shown to drive compliance with public health guidelines and vaccine uptake.”
Covid 19Health and wellbeing
