Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and the anti-vaccine movement: influence, impact and implications

Abstract

Despite being recognized as one of the most successful public health measures, vaccination is perceived as unsafe and unnecessary by a growing number of parents. Anti-vaccination movements have been implicated in lowered vaccine acceptance rates and in the increase in vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and epidemics. In this review, we will look at determinants of parental decision-making about vaccination and provide an overview of the history of anti-vaccination movements and its clinical impact.

Keywords: anti-vaccination; parents; vaccination decisions; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine refusal.