Vaccine Hesitancy: Causes and Impacts on Public Health

Abstract

In many areas throughout the world, incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases is increasing, despite the availability of vaccine services. This is in part due to an increase in vaccine hesitancy, which is the choice to refuse or delay vaccination when vaccine services are available. Parents report many reasons for choosing to forgo or delay vaccinations, such as concerns about vaccine safety, concerns about vaccine schedules, and concerns that vaccination might cause their child to develop autism. This literature review examines the causes of vaccine hesitancy and its impact on public health. Specifically, this review will investigate the reported causes of vaccine hesitancy and attempt to identify the common psychological and sociological factors shared between those causes. These common factors can be used to create effective materials targeted toward vaccine-hesitant parents that can educate them productively and compassionately.