Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Vaccine Hesitancy and Contemporary Vaccination Coverage

The prevention of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, such as measles, rubella, or polio, is dependent on herd immunity.  Yet ensuring widespread vaccination coverage is complicated by a wide range of factors, including vaccine hesitancy, which causes uncertainty in segments of the public about the safety and efficacy of vaccinations.

There is a broad continuum of public perspectives on vaccination, and although there are a few polarized individuals on the extremes, more people are somewhat uncertain or ambivalent about the vaccination decisions that they must make for themselves and their children. The debate also exists in the context of larger political issues surrounding vaccination, including individual freedoms and religious beliefs.

This series of articles investigates the social discourse surrounding vaccination, global perceptions and outcomes of vaccination, and the general issue of confidence or trust in healthcare or government establishments that can underpin medical decisions.

This PLOS Currents: Outbreaks collection was produced in coordination with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

 

Editorial

Hesitancy, Trust and Individualism in Vaccination Decision-Making

Jonathan E Suk, Pierluigi Lopalco, Lucia Pastore Celentano

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.49dba84ad4146de33706b1f131d7caa3

 

Commentary

Vaccine Hesitancy: Clarifying a Theoretical Framework for an Ambiguous Notion

Patrick Peretti-Watel, Heidi J Larson, Jeremy K. Ward, William S Schulz, Pierre Verger

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.6844c80ff9f5b273f34c91f71b7fc289

 

Vaccine Narratives and Public Health: Investigating Criticisms of H1N1 Pandemic Vaccination

Sudeepa Abeysinghe

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.17b6007099e92486483872ff39ede178

 

Research Articles

Measuring Vaccine Confidence: Introducing a Global Vaccine Confidence Index

Heidi J Larson, William S Schulz, Joseph D Tucker, David MD Smith

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.ce0f6177bc97332602a8e3fe7d7f7cc4

 

Factors Associated with Intention to Receive Influenza and Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccines during Pregnancy: A Focus on Vaccine Hesitancy and Perceptions of Disease Severity and Vaccine Safety

Allison T. Chamberlain, Katherine Seib, Kevin A. Ault, Walter A. Orenstein, Paula M. Frew, Marielysse Cortés, Lisa C. Flowers, Pat Cota, Ellen A. S. Whitney, Ruth L. Berkelman, Saad B. Omer, Fauzia Malik

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.d37b61bceebae5a7a06d40a301cfa819

 

Why Are Young Adults Affected? Estimating Measles Vaccination Coverage in 20-34 Year Old Germans in Order to Verify Progress Towards Measles Elimination

Melanie Schuster, Thomas Stelzer, Florian Burckhardt

Published 25 Feb 2015 | info:doi/10.1371/currents.outbreaks.0a2d3e9465f067a0b2933d598d504d2e