“I Took the Trouble to Make Inquiries, So I Refuse to Accept Your Instructions”: Religious Authority and Vaccine Hesitancy Among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Mothers in Israel

Keshet, Yael; Popper‐Giveon, Ariela

doi:10.1007/s10943-020-01122-4

Cited by 32 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Although not investigated in this current study, we believe that negatively toned discussions can discourage vaccination. Our findings thus concur previous studies suggesting that on-line discussions can dissuade parents from vaccinating their children, or at least delay vaccination [ 8 , 9 ]. One explanation is that on-line discussions inflate parents’ vaccination concerns in a way that discourages parents to comply with the official vaccination program.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The overall vaccination coverage rates reported in Israel are consistently high (97%), with the highest rates found among ultra-Orthodox Jews (98%) [ 7 , 8 ]. On the other hand, recent studies point to a growing phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy, which has become more prevalent in Israel as in other countries during recent years [ 1 , 7 – 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Israel, vaccination hesitancy is associated with higher education, affirming that hesitancy results from reflection and convictions, rather than ignorance [ 4 ]. In the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, vaccination hesitancy is also explained by maternal academic education, having parents holding religious beliefs against vaccination, mistrusting the Ministry of Health, and perceiving the risk of vaccine preventable diseases as low [ 4 , 8 ]. A recent study designed to evaluate current vaccination compliance rates among Israeli populations, implies that vaccination compliance, even among medically informed individuals, relies on a personal risk–benefit perception that may be influenced by misinformation regarding vaccine safety [ 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prediction of vaccine hesitancy based on social media traffic among Israeli parents using machine learning strategies

Bar‐Lev

Reichman

Barnett-Itzhaki

2021

Isr J Health Policy Res

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Introduction Vaccines have contributed to substantial reductions of morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases, mainly in children. However, vaccine hesitancy was listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 as one of the top ten threats to world health. Aim To employ machine-learning strategies to assess how on-line content regarding vaccination affects vaccine hesitancy. Methods We collected social media posts and responses from vaccination discussion groups and forums on leading social platforms, including Facebook and Tapuz (A user content website that contains blogs and forums). We investigated 65,603 records of children aged 0–6 years who are insured in Maccabi’s Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). We applied three machine learning algorithms (Logistic regression, Random forest and Neural networks) to predict vaccination among Israeli children, based on demographic and social media traffic. Results Higher hesitancy was associated with more social media traffic, for most of the vaccinations. The addition of the social media traffic features improved the performances of most of the models. However, for Rota virus, Hepatitis A and hepatitis B, the performances of all algorithms (with and without the social media features) were close to random (accuracy up to 0.63 and F1 up to 0.65). We found a negative association between on-line discussions and vaccination. Conclusions There is an association between social media traffic and vaccine hesitancy. Policy makers are encouraged to perceive social media as a main channel of communication during health crises. Health officials and experts are encouraged to take part in social media discussions, and be equipped to readily provide the information, support and advice that the public is looking for, in order to optimize vaccination actions and to improve public health

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prediction of vaccine hesitancy based on social media traffic among Israeli parents using machine learning strategies

Bar‐Lev

Reichman

Barnett-Itzhaki

2021

Isr J Health Policy Res

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“…Others mistrust vaccination because it supposedly contradicts god's will [38]. Jewish rabbinical law (halacha) includes prohibitions regarding the ingestion of non-kosher items, and the measles vaccine contains animal products [39,40]. This combination leads to lower vaccination rates and more measles outbreaks among orthodox Jewish communities compared to the general population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Affects Maternal Response to Measles Vaccinations? Examining the Health Beliefs Model (HBM)

Grinberg

Sela

2021

Sci

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Background: Renewed measles outbreaks in recent years indicate that despite the routine availability of vaccines for a disease that is considered contagious, dangerous and deadly, many anti-vaccinationists do not vaccinate their children, which consequently endangers public health. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence mothers to vaccinate their children, and whether the Health Belief Model (HBM) could predict compliance or non-compliance. Methods: This was a quantitative correlational research, using a 40-item questionnaire administered to 181 mothers in Israel. Results: The findings indicated two main factors that affected mothers’ intention to vaccinate their children against measles: first, their perception of the vaccine’s advantages, and second, their perception of the severity of the disease. It was also found that the HBM variables significantly affected the intention to administer vaccines. Conclusion: Consequently, raising public awareness of the vaccine’s advantages and importance to preventing mass infection, as well as attempts by the health system and practitioners to understand the motivations of anti-vaccinationists (including health beliefs and cultural sensitivities) could significantly increase the percentage of vaccinated children, and eradicate the measles epidemic.

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“…20 Jewish law, however, is not always the primary influence on vaccine decision-making among Haredi Jewish parents. 13,21 It should not be assumed that Orthodox and Haredi Jews will defer family health decisions to religious authorities. 22…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Localising Vaccination Services: Qualitative Insights on an Orthodox Jewish Collaboration with Public health during the UK coronavirus Vaccine Programme

Kasstan

Mounier-Jack

Letley

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Ethnic and religious minorities have been disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and are less likely to accept coronavirus vaccinations. Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish neighbourhoods in England experienced high incidences of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020-21 and measles outbreaks (2018-19) due to suboptimal childhood vaccination coverage. The objective of our study was to explore how the coronavirus vaccination programme (CVP) was co-delivered between public health services and an Orthodox Jewish health organisation. Methods included 28 semi-structured interviews conducted virtually with public health professionals, community welfare and religious representatives, and household members. We examined CVP delivery from the perspectives of those involved in organising services and vaccine beneficiaries. Interview data was contextualised within debates of the CVP in Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish print and social media. Thematic analysis generated five considerations: i) Prior immunisation-related collaboration with public health services carved a role for Jewish health organisations to host and promote coronavirus vaccination sessions, distribute appointments, and administer vaccines ii) Public health services maintained responsibility for training, logistics, and maintaining vaccination records; iii) The localised approach to service delivery promoted vaccination in a minority with historically suboptimal levels of coverage; iv) Co-delivery promoted trust in the CVP, though a minority of participants maintained concerns around safety; v) Provision of CVP information and stakeholders response to situated (context-specific) challenges and concerns. Drawing on this example of CVP co-delivery, we propose that a localised approach to delivering immunisation programmes could address service provision gaps in ways that involve trusted community organisations. Localisation of vaccination services can include communication or implementation strategies, but both approaches involve consideration of investment, engagement and coordination, which are not cost-neutral. Localising vaccination services in collaboration with welfare groups raises opportunities for the on-going CVP and other immunisation programmes, and constitutes an opportunity for ethnic and religious minorities to collaborate in safeguarding community health.

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“I Took the Trouble to Make Inquiries, So I Refuse to Accept Your Instructions”: Religious Authority and Vaccine Hesitancy Among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Mothers in Israel

Cited by 32 publications

References 33 publications

Prediction of vaccine hesitancy based on social media traffic among Israeli parents using machine learning strategies

Prediction of vaccine hesitancy based on social media traffic among Israeli parents using machine learning strategies

What Affects Maternal Response to Measles Vaccinations? Examining the Health Beliefs Model (HBM)

Localising Vaccination Services: Qualitative Insights on an Orthodox Jewish Collaboration with Public health during the UK coronavirus Vaccine Programme

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