Vaccines are one of the greatest public health interventions in modern times. Their development has drastically reduced the global burden of infectious disease. However, rising vaccine hesitancy is contributing to the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases. The reasons for vaccine hesitancy are complex and diverse. This paper aims to explore the reasons why vaccine hesitancy persists. These reasons include safety concerns, spread of misinformation, religion and culture, awareness and knowledge, personal and philosophical beliefs, and the patient-provider relationship. There is no single solution to addressing vaccine hesitancy. Providers play an important role in influencing an individual’s decisions about vaccination. Motivational interviewing and other communication strategies are helpful in establishing trust with hesitant individuals. Monitoring online information can elucidate trends of public sentiment about vaccines and prepare health officials for spikes in vaccine hesitancy. Policy-based interventions may cause more harm than good. Community-based solutions are particularly effective in regions where resources are scarce. Vaccine hesitancy has repercussions for containing novel infectious diseases.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/42179 |
| Date | 26 February 2021 |
| Creators | Naso, James |
| Contributors | Trinkaus-Randall, Vickery, Gill, Christopher |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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