vaccine hesitancy

noun

plural vaccine hesitancies
: the reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated
Vaccine hesitancy can contribute to the continued spread of disease because vaccinations are not being administered.Fred Steiner
Scientists are expressing concern over what they call "vaccine hesitancy" regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.Katie Camero
WHO [World Health Organization] notes that measles cases have increased by 30 percent across the globe, and while not all cases are due to vaccine hesitancies, some countries that had nearly eliminated the disease have seen its return.Katie Gillespie

Examples of vaccine hesitancy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Increasing vaccine hesitancy is just one factor. Erika Edwards, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025 Native people have been harmed as a direct result of the colonial policies of reservations, the underfunding of the Indian Health Service, the lack of access to PPE [masks and other protective equipment] and now, in some areas, the targeting of the Native community to increase vaccine hesitancy. Suzette Brewer, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025 As an example, vaccine hesitancy fueled the largest measles outbreak this year in America where Texas saw more than 750 cases, claiming the lives of two children. Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 While some of this is due to vaccine hesitancy, the main reason these children miss vaccinations is a caregiver's lack of awareness or difficulty accessing health facilities. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vaccine hesitancy

Word History

First Known Use

2002, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vaccine hesitancy was in 2002

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Cite this Entry

“Vaccine hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaccine%20hesitancy. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

vaccine hesitancy

noun
: the reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated
Scientists are expressing concern over what they call "vaccine hesitancy" regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.Katie Camero, The Miami Herald
Reasons for vaccine hesitancy fit into 3 categories: lack of confidence (in effectiveness, safety, the system, or policy makers), complacency (perceived low risk of acquiring VPDs [vaccine preventable diseases]), and lack of convenience …Shixin Shen and Vinita Dubey, Canadian Family Physician
WHO [World Health Organization] notes that measles cases have increased by 30 percent across the globe, and while not all cases are due to vaccine hesitancies, some countries that had nearly eliminated the disease have seen its return.Katie Gillespie, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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