Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

. 2017 Jul 18;4(3):ofx146.

doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofx146. eCollection 2017 Summer.

Affiliations

Review

Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action

Tara C Smith. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017.

Abstract

Vaccine refusal has been a recurring story in the media for well over a decade. Although there is scant evidence that refusal is genuinely increasing in the population, multiple studies have demonstrated concerning patterns of decline of confidence in vaccines, the medical professionals who administer vaccines, and the scientists who study and develop vaccines. As specialists in microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases, scientists are content experts but often lack the direct contact with individuals considering vaccination for themselves or their children that healthcare professionals have daily. This review examines the arguments and players in the US antivaccination scene, and it discusses ways that experts in infectious diseases can become more active in promoting vaccination to friends, family, and the public at large.

Keywords: antivaccination; internet; misinformation; vaccine denial; vaccine hesitancy.

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Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Examples of photos posted to the author’s social media accounts. (A) The author (middle) and her older children after receipt of seasonal influenza vaccines. (B) The author’s youngest child at Walt Disney World, wearing a shirt saying “Fully Vaccinated. You’re Welcome.” Both techniques can serve as conversation-starters around vaccination.

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