The Child Health and Evaluation Research (CHEAR) Center at Michigan Medicine has announced that Caroline Hogan, MD, MS has been awarded the 2023 Susan B. Meister Award for Best Paper in Child Health Policy for her paper, “Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives Among Adolescents and Young Adults,” published in JAMA Network Open.
The paper was written in collaboration with MyVoice researchers: Marika E. Waselewski, MPH; Parker Szachta; Clara Wolff; Xochitl Amaro; and Tammy Chang, MD, MPH, MS.
The qualitative study of 1125 adolescent and young adult respondents across the US found that while youth awareness and acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine incentives was high, more than a quarter of youth expressed concerns about incentives, citing concerns around their effectiveness, ethical use, and equity of distribution.
These findings suggest that more research is needed to understand the incidence, characteristics, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine incentives targeted to children and young adults. Additionally, the authors argue that policymakers considering interim implementation of incentive programs should consider youths’ perspectives on these public health measures.
“Teenagers are an important stakeholder group, and their perspectives on pressing challenges that impact their lives must be taken into consideration when designing policies that impact them,” said Dr. Hogan. “I am deeply grateful to receive this prestigious award and to be recognized for our work in child health policy. This honor not only acknowledges our efforts but also provides an excellent platform to amplify youth voices and better advocate for their inclusion in policymaking.”
The Susan B. Meister Award for Best Paper in Child Health Policy is a prestigious honor, with winners receiving a $1000 honorarium in support of their research. The award was presented to Dr. Hogan at The Susan B. Meister Lecture in Child Health Policy by senior leadership of the CHEAR Center at Michigan Medicine.
The CHEAR Center at Michigan Medicine is a leader in pediatric health services research, conducting studies that inform health policy and clinical practice. The center has a particular focus on children with chronic and complex health conditions, healthcare quality, and healthcare disparities.