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

Facing historically low immunization rates and unprecedented increases in vaccine hesitancy after the COVID-19 pandemic, one rural Arizona medical center took an innovative approach: offering vaccines at dental visits. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024

Studies from 2022 found that France, Sweden, and Spain had the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy in accepting COVID-19 booster shots in Western Europe. —Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024

In one instance the states presented, the Biden administration contacted Facebook in May 2021, asking it not to distribute posts about vaccine hesitancy, and in July 2021, Facebook allegedly blocked health groups in Louisiana that one of the plaintiffs was involved in. —Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 18 Mar. 2024

Related Articles Post-pandemic vaccine hesitancy fueling latest measles outbreak The U.S. eliminated measles in 2000. —Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024

However, Bedford doesn’t consider vaccine hesitancy and the spread of conspiracy theories to be the main problem. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 25 Jan. 2024

Vaccination rates for children in England have been steadily declining over the last decade, partly because of vaccine hesitancy but also because of a lack of resources and logistical issues in the most deprived areas. —Megan Specia, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

Validating vaccine hesitancy has been a staple of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration, and that hesitancy has trickled down to routine immunizations for schools, experts said. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024

Health experts at the briefing said the roll-out was accompanied by extensive community out-reach to combat any vaccine hesitancy and emphasize the importance of continuing to use all protective measures alongside the vaccines. —Fox News, 22 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2002, in the meaning defined above

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)