Vaccine hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy is delaying or refusing vaccination despite available services. It ranges from reluctance to outright refusal and varies across vaccines, places, and time.

Vaccine confidence: Trust in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, the systems that deliver them, and the institutions that recommend them. Confidence is one major influence on whether doubts become delayed or refused vaccination.
Immunization programs: Organized efforts to deliver vaccines and monitor vaccination coverage in populations. Program design can reduce missed vaccinations and respond to local patterns of hesitancy.
Vaccine-preventable disease: An infectious disease whose incidence or severity can be reduced by vaccination. Lower vaccination uptake can leave more people susceptible to diseases vaccines can prevent.
Vaccine refusal: A decision not to receive a vaccine despite its availability. Refusal is one possible form of hesitancy, but hesitancy also includes delay and uncertainty.
Risk perception: How people judge the likelihood and seriousness of harms and benefits. Perceived disease and vaccine risks shape the balance people use when deciding whether to vaccinate.
Healthcare provider communication: Information exchange between healthcare professionals and patients about health decisions and care. Clear, respectful conversations can address concerns without treating every delay as the same problem.
Measles: A highly contagious viral disease that can cause serious complications and is preventable by vaccination. Measles outbreaks can follow gaps in community vaccination coverage.
Vaccine acceptance: Willingness to receive a vaccine when it is offered or recommended. Acceptance is the contrasting decision outcome, though it can vary by vaccine and circumstance.
Health literacy: The ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information and services. Understanding vaccine information can affect confidence, though knowledge alone does not determine acceptance.
Motivational interviewing: A collaborative counseling approach that explores ambivalence and supports a person's own reasons for change. Its non-confrontational style can help discuss vaccine concerns while preserving trust.

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