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. 2022 Dec;6(12):1634-1648.
doi: 10.1038/s41562-022-01431-6. Epub 2022 Aug 22.

A systematic literature review to clarify the concept of vaccine hesitancy

Daphne Bussink-Voorend  1 , Jeannine L A Hautvast  2 , Lisa Vandeberg  3 , Olga Visser  2 , Marlies E J L Hulscher  4
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A systematic literature review to clarify the concept of vaccine hesitancy

Daphne Bussink-Voorend et al. Nat Hum Behav. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is considered a top-10 global health threat. The concept of VH has been described and applied inconsistently. This systematic review aims to clarify VH by analysing how it is operationalized. We searched PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases on 14 January 2022. We selected 422 studies containing operationalizations of VH for inclusion. One limitation is that studies of lower quality were not excluded. Our qualitative analysis reveals that VH is conceptualized as involving (1) cognitions or affect, (2) behaviour and (3) decision making. A wide variety of methods have been used to measure VH. Our findings indicate the varied and confusing use of the term VH, leading to an impracticable concept. We propose that VH should be defined as a state of indecisiveness regarding a vaccination decision.

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