7. Conclusion

Vaccine hesitancy is complex. It differs between individuals and across time, place and vaccines [11].

However, even for one individual, there won’t be one ‘reason’. A patient’s relationship with the topic of vaccines can change over time [7]. What this means is that it is important to not put individuals or families in one ‘box’ or ‘category’.

We have outlined six major contexts (technological, healthcare, family, generational, media and social) that contribute towards hesitancy, however these factors are not discreet and often interact with one another. There are also many other aspects that can influence vaccine hesitancy [4]; please see the resources section at the end of this RLO for further information.

Interactions between parents and healthcare professionals are vitally important [12]. However, vaccination takes place in a wider social context [4]. This means that the influence of individual healthcare practitioners is realistically limited within a consultation or healthcare interaction [1]. Wider societal issues, including trust in expert systems, are at play [13].