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 administration has forced the National Institutes of Health to defund research that focuses on LGBTQ populations—including several projects dedicated to HIV—as well as projects that mention vaccine hesitancy. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2025

That includes greater vaccine hesitancy due to misinformation and controversy around the Covid vaccine and more distrust of public health officials and their requirements, among other issues. —Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025

But as vaccine hesitancy has increased over time, fewer kids are getting their shots. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2025

Kennedy is among Trump’s most controversial nominees, given his leading role in spreading vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 misinformation. —The Hill Staff, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2025

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)