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

The bottom line: Elevating Kennedy to a position of power could ultimately lead to more vaccine hesitancy, more infectious disease, less trust in public health institutions and generalized distrust of the health care system. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 3 Nov. 2024

Nevertheless, there have periodically been upticks in childhood vaccine hesitancy. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

From vaccine hesitancy to trust Fatima is a respected mentor within the family, deeply rooted in her principles. —Unicef Usa, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Much of the vaccine hesitancy has its roots in religion. —Manish Sreevatsava, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2021

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)