Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants

Abstract

The SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy concluded that vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite availability of vaccination services. Vaccine hesitancy is complex and context specific, varying across time, place and vaccines. It is influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence. The Working Group retained the term 'vaccine' rather than 'vaccination' hesitancy, although the latter more correctly implies the broader range of immunization concerns, as vaccine hesitancy is the more commonly used term. While high levels of hesitancy lead to low vaccine demand, low levels of hesitancy do not necessarily mean high vaccine demand. The Vaccine Hesitancy Determinants Matrix displays the factors influencing the behavioral decision to accept, delay or reject some or all vaccines under three categories: contextual, individual and group, and vaccine/vaccination-specific influences.

Strategies and actions of multi-purpose health communication on vaccine preventable infectious diseases in order to increase vaccination coverage in the population: The ESCULAPIO project

“…7 Among those who accept all vaccinations without any doubt (complete acceptance: corresponds to the highest proportion in the Apulian activity 50%) and those who completely refuse without uncertainty (total rejection: the lowest percentage, 15%), a heterogeneous group of uncertain people is also individuated. People belonging to this group nourish certainties toward some vaccinations and doubts about others and, consequently, decide to delay the vaccination uptake (35%).…”

Using the COMMVAC taxonomy to map vaccination communication interventions in Mozambique

“…In Mozambique, information and education addressed to groups and individuals with low literacy is particularly relevant for women in rural areas, where literacy rates are low [21,22]. Through information and education, people can understand the significance and relevance of vaccines [3,18,19] which, in turn, may help to reduce vaccine hesitancy [23,24] and encourage people to contribute actively to the vaccination of their children. A recent study in Mozambique found that mothers’ understanding of how vaccines work is limited [20] and that their decision to take their child for vaccination is not based on clear knowledge of the mechanisms of vaccine protection.…”

Maintaining measles elimination in Canada: Moving forward

“…The 2014 BC outbreak (9) and the recent Quebec outbreak in early 2015 (4) are examples of measles imported into a community where vaccinations were refused for religious/philosophical reasons. Those who refuse all vaccines represent only a small part of the continuum of vaccine hesitancy (10). Some parents may delay or be selective in providing all routine vaccinations for their children, resulting in individuals susceptible to infection (10).…”

“…Those who refuse all vaccines represent only a small part of the continuum of vaccine hesitancy (10). Some parents may delay or be selective in providing all routine vaccinations for their children, resulting in individuals susceptible to infection (10).…”