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.
Similarly, vaccine misinformation has soared since the COVID-19 pandemic, as has vaccine hesitancy among adults and children. Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 But Higgins said the overall picture on vaccine hesitancy isn’t clear. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2025 The administration has already terminated thousands of research grants at agencies like the NSF and NIH, including on topics like transgender health, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion. Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025 In fact, vaccine hesitancy is now viewed as among the greatest threats to global health. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 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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