VACCINE HESITANCY: A CHALLENGE TO PUBLIC HEALTH

Mrs. SONIA NR
Page No.14-17

Vaccine hesitancy has increased world-wide with a subsequent decreasing of vaccination rates and outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases. Studies have shown that vaccination coverage rates ranged widely between good percentage for some vaccination (MMR, DPT) and very low coverage rates for others especially for “new” vaccinations (HPV, meningococcal, pneumococcal) considering these vaccines as unnecessary. The argument of vaccine hesitancy is particularly important for public health. This refusal is because of unjustified fear about potential side effects of vaccines. Education of the public is the corner stone on which the public health should build the fight to the vaccine hesitancy and improve the vaccination coverage.
Keywords: vaccine, hesitancy, complacency