In the United States, a blood transfusion happens every 2 seconds. Access to blood and the quick distribution of it often facilitate crucial, lifesaving efforts made by clinicians nationwide. But what happens when a patient refuses such a procedure–and what happens when the reasons for that refusal are rooted in hesitancies and skepticisms about vaccines?
A team of researchers in the English Department has been exploring this new phenomenon of vaccinated blood refusal. Begun nearly two years ago, the project consists of teams in Mason’s Department of English—Professor Heidi Lawrence, graduate student Jessie Wiggins, and undergraduate student Katy Morejon Portillo—and at Virginia Tech: Julie Gerdes, Tèmítọ́pẹ́ Ọ̀jẹ́délé-Adéjùmò, and Hailey Richards. Altogether, this team has investigated this issue as it has emerged online, in clinical spaces, and through interviews with patients and their doctors, in partnership with a major Midwest hospital system.
They began the project with an initial grant from 4VA to fund faculty and graduate student interviews and field work, and continued support from another 4VA grant has allowed them to take on additional undergraduate research assistants and work through further analysis. As the team has expanded to include multi-site collaboration and engagement with faculty, graduate student, and undergraduate research, the project has continued to develop and expand.
Here, Wiggins, Portillo, and Lawrence reflect on some of the most memorable parts of this project and the unique toolset English, medical rhetoric, and the humanities bring to this new problem in healthcare communication.
Jessie Wiggins’ Perspective
As a graduate student in the rhetoric of health and medicine, the opportunity to collaborate with researchers and clinicians has helped me bridge theoretical frameworks of rhetoric with real-world medical practice. From observing surgeries and witnessing the blood centrifuge machine in action to presenting on the rhetorics of blood at national conferences, I’ve found that this research project has not only deepened my understanding of medical rhetoric but also informed and enriched my dissertation.
Katy Morejon Portillo’s Perspective
Working on the blood transfusion and vaccine rhetoric project has opened my eyes to how people rationalize their beliefs and how fears can shape their views. It has also deepened my empathy for those who feel unheard, inspiring me to continue exploring complex topics and helping inform others. As an English major concentrating in writing and rhetoric, I never imagined I'd be interested in this field, but now I’m motivated to contribute to discussions around it.
Heidi Lawrence’s Perspective
As a longtime researcher in medical rhetoric and vaccine hesitancy, I was immediately fascinated by this project. So far, our qualitative work has been most illustrative to me. Our interviews with clinicians show experts desperately trying to meet patient demands and address their concerns, yet often beyond their expertise in how to communicate to a group they’d never encountered before. This project has taught me that vaccine hesitancy, once primarily the domain of pediatricians, is now poised to impact all kinds of specialties across medicine, including surgery and transfusion medicine, areas that never saw vaccine hesitancy before COVID.
It has also been an absolute joy to work with Jessie and Katy; their insights and different perspectives on medicine, online communication, and experiences of COVID have shaped the project in countless productive ways. Their contributions to the project have been absolutely crucial to its progress.
The team has already presented their emerging findings back to clinic partners and at three national conferences and has three articles currently in process. Lawrence and Wiggins were also recently featured on the Talking about Blood podcast, where they were interviewed about this issue.
As wider audiences gain insight into these findings, the researchers also hope to demonstrate the value of English, medical rhetoric, and the humanities in real world problems impacting health and communication
January 24, 2025