Vaccination: Hesitancy and Acceptance

The ongoing debate surrounding vaccination uptake or refusal is far from over, much less so in view of the introduction of the first COVID-19 vaccines. Even though global healthcare has seen significant progress over the past decades, deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases remain an important health issue worldwide. This might be conditioned by the existence of numerous myths surrounding vaccination, or the negative consequences associated with vaccination. While new technologies in general and social media in particular provide vaccination-hesitant individuals with new media outlets, they might also present a remedy to battle vaccination hesitancy. Yet, the sole reliance on information to shape individual perceptions of vaccination does not suffice anymore, as traditional information tools (e.g., posters and brochures) were deemed unsuitable to change individuals' attitudes toward vaccination. Instead, the inclusion of contextual determinants, social and cultural norms, religion, and education is proposed. Responses and attitudes toward vaccines are influenced by social norms and motivation factors, including individuals' capabilities, risk perceptions, confidence levels, and concerns. Further, clinicians have been found to play a critical role in shaping individuals' vaccination-related attitudes and behaviors. The most cited reasons for individuals' reluctance to get vaccinated concern a lack of trust in healthcare systems, clinicians, and the actual vaccination. For this reason, vaccine-related information should be both transparent and credible, as well as easily comprehensible. At the same time, information should be targeted toward specific audiences and tailored to their respective communicative needs to increase compliance with recommended health behaviors.