vaccine hesitant

adjective

variants or vaccine-hesitant

vak-ˈsēn-ˈhe-zə-tənt 

ˈvak-ˌsēn-

: characterized by reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated

vaccine hesitant adults

Among the 18% of Iowans who identify as vaccine-hesitant, about half cited uncertainty about vaccine side effects as the source of their reluctance …

—Bennett Goldstein

Word History

First Known Use

2005, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

vaccine hesitant

adjective

variants or vaccine-hesitant

: characterized by reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated

vaccine hesitant health care workers