With one in five children still not receiving routine life-saving immunizations, and an estimated 1.5 million dying each year of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines, people who delay or refuse vaccines for themselves or their children are presenting a growing challenge for countries seeking to close the immunization gap, according to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the recent Ebola crisis tragically brought to light, engaging with communities and persuading individuals to change their habits and behaviours is a lynchpin of public health success,\u201d the WHO said in a special issue of the journal Vaccine published today entitled \u2018WHO recommendations regarding vaccine hesitancy.\u2019<\/p>\n
Dr. Philippe Duclos, Senior Health Adviser for WHO\u2019s Immunization, Vaccines and Biological Department and guest editor of the special issue, said: \u201cVaccine hesitancy is an increasingly important issue for country immunization programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recommendations proposed by WHO suggest ways organizations can increase acceptance of vaccines, share effective practices, and develop new tools to assess and address hesitancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerns about vaccine safety can be linked to vaccine hesitancy, but safety concerns are only one of many factors that may drive hesitancy,\u201d says the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ health agency.<\/p>\n
WHO went on to explain that \u201cvaccine hesitancy can be caused by other factors such as: negative beliefs based on myths, e.g. that vaccination of women leads to infertility misinformation mistrust in the health care professional or health care system the role of influential leaders costs geographic barriers and concerns about vaccine safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the authors note there is no \u201cmagic bullet,\u201d or single intervention strategy that works for all instances of vaccine hesitancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEffective communication is key to dispelling fears, addressing concerns and promoting acceptance of vaccination,\u201d according to WHO.<\/p>\n
Vaccine hesitancy is not only an issue in high income countries, but is a complex, rapidly changing global problem that varies widely, it said.<\/p>\n
For example, a higher level of education does not necessarily predict vaccine acceptance. The experts noted that a number of studies identify higher education as a potential barrier to vaccine acceptance in some settings, while other studies identify education as a promoter of vaccine acceptance in different areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven fear of needles can be a factor for vaccine refusal,\u201d noted WHO.<\/p>\n