Vaccine Hesitancy: Contributory Factors

Historically, the United States has been inundated with parental rejection of immunization efforts by the government (Hodge & Gostin 2001). Vaccine hesitancy in recent times has been reported in the empirical literature as a problem associated with successful implementation of government funded programs. Parents often get inaccurate information from sources (Dempsey et al. 2006; Scherer et al., 2016) that provide inadequate relevant knowledge (Kimman et al., 2006) about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Large scale, mandatory immunization programs often have competing interests (Nohynek 2008). Factoring in financial and economic implications of immunization programs tends to be of accorded the same level of importance if not more than the safety and prevention of adverse health (Nohynek 2008) outcomes of the at-risk population. The shortage of primary care physicians (Kimman et al., 2006) in the United States has been suggested as a possible contributing factor. Kimman et al., (2006) further elaborate on the role of relevant concerns and factors. Concerns that determine the overall health and well-being of at-risk populations; specifically access to healthcare, personnel to provide adequate education and quality assurance services.

Dempsey et al., (2006) contend however, that the perceived seriousness and susceptibility to disease are contributory factors that militate against acceptance of HPV vaccines. Parents who have not had a tangible experience with the physical manifestation of HPV symptoms, tend to dismiss the usefulness of vaccines to generate adaptive acquired immunity. Some parents have had reservations about the purported efficaciousness of vaccination programs and the vaccines to be introduced (Hodge & Gostin 2001; Dempsey et al., 2006). A thorough evaluation of vaccines and extrapolation of efficacy (Kimman et al., 2006) before implementation is sometimes lacking. The current review identifies major issues associated with vaccine hesitancy which deserve immediate attention in the form of policy adjustments to address the existing challenges.