Vaccine hesitancy
Citation: Pires C. What Is the state-of-the-art in clinical trials on vaccine hesitancy 2015–2020?. Vaccines. 2021;9(4):348.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: No external funding.
What is this? The author searched in January 2021 for randomised clinical trials on vaccine hesitancy published in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish between 2015 and 2020. The author found 35 articles from Canada (4), Germany (2), Malaysia (1), USA and Canada (1), USA and Guatemala (1), USA and India (1), and USA (25).
What was found: Greater vaccine hesitancy was found in parents who were aware of vaccination risks rather than benefits, and among people who had poor experiences after vaccination, fear of needles, or unfavourable opinions about healthcare professionals or the imposition of vaccination. Written or oral communication to support vaccination and information on possible complications is important. The provision of online information, training health workers, and tailored educational strategies may help to reduce vaccine hesitancy.
Implications: The author of the study concluded that vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue, and that there is no universal method to assess and examine vaccine hesitancy.
Other considerations: The author of the review discussed her findings in the context of socioeconomic status, age, race, culture, and place of residence.
This summary was prepared by Joly Ghanawi, edited by Sydney Johnson, Surya Ramachandran, and finalized by Mike Clarke.