Ten Actions to Counteract Vaccine Hesitancy Suggested by the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is one of the main causes of the widespread decline in vaccination coverage and has become the subject of ongoing debate among public health professionals. The present commentary is a “decalogue” of strategic actions to counteract vaccine hesitancy for public health professionals that comes from the cognitive and formative path put in place by the “Communication in Public Health” working group (WG) of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health. From the establishment of a national, multidisciplinary WG on VH to the activation of a national monitoring/surveillance system on vaccine hesitancy, several proposals are discussed. The identification and dissemination of good practices and tools to counteract and understand vaccine hesitancy, interdisciplinary training on vaccine hesitancy and on risk communication, community engagement and infodemiology, the inclusion of effective interventions to counteract vaccine hesitancy within the National Immunization Plan (NIP), the promotion and growth of a community of practice and research in the field of vaccine hesitancy, collaborations between scientific societies, and knowledge from the behavioral sciences represent other actions recommended in the present commentary. The present document suggests ten undeferrable strategies that could be implemented at the national and local levels in Italy, and that could be borrowed by other European countries in order to counteract vaccines hesitancy with a systematic and organic approach.

Enhancing routine immunization efforts for older adults and frail individuals: Good practices during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Italy

“…New awareness-raising strategies should be tested, developed and disseminated, taking into account patients’ preferences, levels of literacy, cultural background. 33 The presence of frailty and functional impairment, both physical and cognitive, might hinder the effective communication with patients, impact vaccine uptake and is eventually linked to a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy among the older population. Good practices aimed at increasing adherence to vaccination campaigns should take into consideration patients’ underlying functionality, by assessing their frailty and cognitive status.…”

Serological response and breakthrough infection after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cirrhosis and post-liver transplant

“…2 Among liver patients and solid organ transplant recipients, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue, demonstrating that targeted vaccination policy remains an important topic for the global hepatology community. 3 , 4 …”

The Willingness toward Vaccination: A Focus on Non-Mandatory Vaccinations

“…Hesitancy arises from various sources, including misinformation, mistrust in healthcare professionals, religious convictions, and concerns about individual autonomy [3]. Tackling these multifarious challenges necessitates evidence-based strategies that operate at multiple levels, transfer best practices to every relevant context, and evaluate interventions within specific populations or settings to determine the efficacy of implementable actions that can be applied to the general population [4].…”