Cultural Contexts of Health: Vaccine Hesitancy - Why Do Some People Not Vaccinate?

On July 3 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO)/Europe and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Health Histories at the University of York (United Kingdom - UK) brought together international experts to explore the social, environmental, cultural, and historical context of vaccine hesitancy. They also discussed the effect that vaccine hesitancy may have on the efficacy of contemporary immunisation programmes within the Region.

In his presentation, one of two captured in this video, Robb Butler, Programme Manager for Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization at WHO/Europe, said, "Vaccine hesitancy is a multifaceted and powerful phenomenon. We need to investigate the behavioural determinants of vaccination and better understand the complex web of social issues surrounding vaccine hesitancy."

Dr. Heidi Larson, Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK) and Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, explaind in her presentation that historical and political issues unrelated to vaccination can get played out through vaccine hesitancy. For example, outside the Region, memories of paramilitary violence in El Carmen de Bolivar, Colombia, have shaped the way families perceive and respond to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Due to this violence, families have come to view interventions in their community with distrust, which has negatively affected HPV vaccine uptake rates.

The speakers highlighted a variety of different approaches to addressing the growing issue of vaccine hesitancy. For example, they noted the positive possibilities afforded by technologies such as microneedles and patches for making vaccinations less unpleasant for children, as well as the potential for message framing and social media to reduce vaccine hesitancy.

Both speakers indicated the need for interdisciplinary perspectives to address vaccine hesitancy. They discussed a project being undertaken by WHO/Europe that takes a systematic approach to researching how culture affects perceptions of, access to, and experiences of health and well-being.