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

Now, though, after the COVID pandemic saw an increase in vaccine hesitancy because of misinformation, one of the country's most high-profile people, who has been questioning vaccines for years, is in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services. —Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025

The list of grants related to vaccine hesitancy that officials were told to cancel targets dozens of projects. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025

However, outbreaks have resurfaced with declines in vaccination rates, due in part to vaccine hesitancy and skepticism. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025

The recent uptick in measles cases is primarily due to a rise in vaccine hesitancy, Dr. David Weber, an infectious disease specialist at the UNC School of Medicine, told The Observer. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 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)