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. 2025 Dec;21(1):2471225.
doi: 10.1080/21645515.2025.2471225. Epub 2025 Mar 9.

Exploring the relationship between experience of vaccine adverse events and vaccine hesitancy: A scoping review

Fátima Gauna  1   2 , Jocelyn Raude  2 , Charles Khouri  3   4 , Jean-Luc Cracowski  3   4 , Jeremy K Ward  1
Affiliations

Exploring the relationship between experience of vaccine adverse events and vaccine hesitancy: A scoping review

Fátima Gauna et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2025 Dec.

Abstract

Fear of side effects is the main motive for vaccine refusal. However, before the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention had been paid to the actual experience of adverse events and its relationship with vaccine hesitancy. This scoping review aimed to analyze the impact of VH on EAE and vice versa. We reviewed 55 articles. Most of the studies focused on COVID-19 vaccination and employed cross-sectional surveys with self-reported indicators. These studies identified significant correlations between EAE and VH. Social cognitive models shed some light on the influence of EAE on VH, while the converse is usually explained by the nocebo effect that predominately accounts for the converse. This emerging research field is hampered by significant inconsistencies in theoretical explanations, assessments of the relationship, and measurements of these two phenomena. A more comprehensive consideration of individual experience, both objective and subjective, would help develop more effective vaccine communication strategies and improve pharmacological surveillance.

Keywords: Personal experience; adverse events; pharmacosurveillance; vaccination; vaccine hesitancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Causality between adverse events experiences and vaccine hesitancy.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Prisma flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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