Vaccine Hesitancy: The Problem at Hand and Solutions to Address It

Vaccines have had an immense impact on health outcomes throughout the world; they have saved innumerable lives by significantly decreasing vaccine-preventable diseases. Unfortunately, the burden of some vaccine-preventable diseases has increased due to growing vaccine hesitancy, lower acceptance of being vaccinated, and a notable expansion of using immunization exemptions. It is important to create individual communication strategies and interventions that target the psychological, social, and cultural factors, as well as the medical factors that go into making vaccine decisions. Interventions that are face-to-face, utilize a combination of interventions, are active, brief, and acknowledge the family’s beliefs and values have been most successful.