Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake

Abstract

Vaccines have led to a significant decrease in rates of vaccine-preventable diseases and have made a significant impact on the health of children. However, some parents express concerns about vaccine safety and the necessity of vaccines. The concerns of parents range from hesitancy about some immunizations to refusal of all vaccines. This clinical report provides information about the scope and impact of the problem, the facts surrounding common vaccination concerns, and the latest evidence regarding effective communication techniques for the vaccine conversation. After reading this clinical report, readers can expect to:Understand concepts and underlying determinants of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy.Understand the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and costs of preventable medical care.Recognize and address specific concerns (eg, vaccine safety) with caregivers when hesitancy is present.

Applying Human-Centered Design in Formative Research: Developing a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial for a Culturally Tailored Women's Empowerment Program to Boost Immunization Service Uptake (Preprint)

“…Using the voices of the community, this strategy builds community resilience and togetherness while also bolstering vaccine confidence. [33][34][35][36] Communities can set the path for higher vaccination rates and better public health outcomes by working together and leveraging local expertise and experiences. The core causes of vaccine hesitancy within certain cultural and social contexts can be effectively addressed by community-led lobbying.…”

“…36,[37][38][39] Advocacy groups can help close the gap between scientific knowledge and community perceptions by customizing messaging to fit local conventions, beliefs, and languages. 35,40 In addition to fostering inclusivity, this culturally aware approach makes sure that no member of the community is left out.…”

A World without Measles and Rubella: Addressing the Challenge of Vaccine Hesitancy

“…Vaccine hesitancy falls on a spectrum of vaccine attitudes and intentions. Several typologies of parental vaccine hesitancy have been described [ 2 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. These vaccine hesitancy typologies generally span from those who recognize the importance of vaccines and accept all vaccines on one end of the spectrum to those who refuse all vaccines, often have mistrust in the medical system, or have other strong religious or personal beliefs, and their beliefs about vaccines are fixed [ 27 ].…”

“…Several typologies of parental vaccine hesitancy have been described [ 2 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. These vaccine hesitancy typologies generally span from those who recognize the importance of vaccines and accept all vaccines on one end of the spectrum to those who refuse all vaccines, often have mistrust in the medical system, or have other strong religious or personal beliefs, and their beliefs about vaccines are fixed [ 27 ]. These typologies help to describe general observations about the spectrum of vaccine hesitancy and can be used as a tool for tailoring vaccine communication; however, they do not entirely describe the heterogeneity found within the spectrum of vaccine hesitancy.…”

“…Despite these limitations, some epidemiologic data about the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy are critical to understand. U.S. studies have consistently shown that the proportion of parents with vaccine hesitancy leading to the outright refusal of all vaccines for their children is small (1–3%) [ 26 , 27 , 41 , 42 ]. These data suggest that the proportion of individuals with absolute fixed beliefs is small, and a majority fall somewhere on the vaccine hesitancy spectrum where they have potentially movable vaccine attitudes and intentions.…”