Vaccine hesitancy could derail COVID-19 control

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Population Immunity ◽  
Great Hope ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Vaccination Campaigns

Subject COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy. Significance In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) cited “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the top ten threats to global health. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, great hope has been placed on developing a vaccine to help countries return to normalcy. However, for a vaccine successfully to achieve the goal of population immunity, large-scale uptake is crucial. The growing anti-vaccination (‘anti-vax’) movement, which has strong pre-COVID-19 foundations, threatens to derail future vaccination campaigns. Impacts Stakeholders in public health will have to divert increasing amounts of resources to counter anti-vax content. Social media companies will come under increasing pressure to ensure they do not give a platform to misinformation relating to vaccinations. The full impact of the anti-vax movement will only be revealed when a vaccination campaign commences.

Vaccine hesitancy and implications on childhood immunisation in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Hazilah Abd Manaf ◽  
Mohd Azahadi Omar ◽  
Fatin Husna Suib
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Personal Choice ◽  
Childhood Immunisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Parental Decision ◽  
Islamic Medicine ◽  
Health Organization

PurposeThe World Health Organization identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten threats to global health in 2019. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implications and factors affecting parental decision on childhood immunisation in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews literature on vaccine hesitancy and evaluation of factors affecting parental decision on childhood immunisation in Malaysia.FindingsVaccine hesitancy is a growing public health concern in Malaysia with factors such as influence of Internet and social media, personal choice and individual right, conspiracy theory, religious reasons and alternative medicine as among the influencing dynamics. An urban, educated demography operating within a postmodern medical paradigm compounds the diminishing value of vaccines.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive examination of vaccine hesitancy in Malaysia. Critical appraisal on personal choice over societal responsibility within an Asian/Muslim collectivist society has not been discussed in previous studies. The acceptance of homeopathy as an Islamic medicine alternative is peculiar to multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Malaysia.

scholarly journals Designing effective control of dengue with combined interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (6) ◽  
pp. 3319-3325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Hladish ◽  
Carl A. B. Pearson ◽  
Kok Ben Toh ◽  
Diana Patricia Rojas ◽  
Pablo Manrique-Saide ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vector Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Indoor Residual Spraying ◽  
World Health ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Resource Limitations ◽  
Health Organization

Viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, have expanding ranges and seem unabated by current vector control programs. Effective control of these pathogens likely requires integrated approaches. We evaluated dengue management options in an endemic setting that combine novel vector control and vaccination using an agent-based model for Yucatán, Mexico, fit to 37 y of data. Our intervention models are informed by targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS) experiments; trial outcomes and World Health Organization (WHO) testing guidance for the only licensed dengue vaccine, CYD-TDV; and preliminary results for in-development vaccines. We evaluated several implementation options, including varying coverage levels; staggered introductions; and a one-time, large-scale vaccination campaign. We found that CYD-TDV and TIRS interfere: while the combination outperforms either alone, performance is lower than estimated from their separate benefits. The conventional model hypothesized for in-development vaccines, however, performs synergistically with TIRS, amplifying effectiveness well beyond their independent impacts. If the preliminary performance by either of the in-development vaccines is upheld, a one-time, large-scale campaign followed by routine vaccination alongside aggressive new vector control could enable short-term elimination, with nearly all cases avoided for a decade despite continuous dengue reintroductions. If elimination is impracticable due to resource limitations, less ambitious implementations of this combination still produce amplified, longer-lasting effectiveness over single-approach interventions.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Attitude among Healthcare Workers in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110133
Author(s):  
Samar Fares ◽  
Merihan M. Elmnyer ◽  
Shimaa Sabry Mohamed ◽  
Radwa Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, especially the frontline worriers. To get shielded through this war, the world is racing to reach and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination hesitancy is one of the significant obstacles to global health. Objectives This study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of healthcare workers in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines, acknowledge the determinants of their attitude, and the factors that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine. Methods an observational web-based anonymous survey was conducted on 385 Egyptian healthcare workers in different governorates. The questionnaire-based on Vaccine Hesitancy Survey Questions of the World Health Organization was available in Arabic and English languages and was tested for reliability. Results Regarding vaccination decision, 51% of the participants were undecided, 28% refused, and 21% accepted vaccination. Reasons for vaccine acceptance mainly were risks of COVID-19 (93%), safety (57.5%), and effectiveness (56.25%) of the vaccine. Simultaneously, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were the absence of enough clinical trials (92.4%) and fear of side effects of the vaccine (91.4%). The leading factor that could increase vaccination acceptance among the participants was to get sufficient and accurate information about the available vaccines. The participants revealed a high mean level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety (3.8 of 5) that differs significantly among the different study groups ( P-value .002). Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only approximately 21% of Egyptian healthcare workers in our study accepted the COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy represents a major barrier to implementing vaccination programs.

scholarly journals Can Communication Strategies Combat COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Trade-Off between Public Service Messages and Public Skepticism? Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Qiang Jin ◽  
Syed Hassan Raza ◽  
Muhammad Yousaf ◽  
Umer Zaman ◽  
Jenny Marisa Lim Dao Siang
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Type ◽  
Downward Spiral ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Health Organization

The COVID-19 pandemic may have reached a turning point as the World Health Organization and the global community of nations step up plans for mass vaccination campaigns. However, the COVID-19 vaccine-related conspiracy theories (e.g., falsehoods about birth control, women infertility, surveillance, and microchip humanity, etc.) have built new momentum for vaccine hesitancy. To this end, several nations worldwide, including Pakistan, are struggling to boost public trust and enthusiasm to get vaccinated, especially in an anxious and complicated atmosphere propelled by multiple, new and the deadliest variants of COVID-19. To address this critical research gap during these intensifying conditions of vaccine hesitancy, the present study makes the first attempt to explore the potential effects of various communication strategies, including public service message (safety benefits versus fear appraisals), media types (i.e., traditional versus digital), self-efficacy, perceived benefits and threats (susceptibility and severity), on the willingness to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Importantly, the underlying effects of public skepticism (in a moderating role) on these relationships were empirically examined. Using four fictitious COVID-19 immunization campaigns in a series of experiments with 2 (media type: traditional vs. digital) X 2 (service attribute: health and safety benefits vs. fear) message frames (represented as Group one to Group four), the findings identified fear appraisal as the most viable communication strategy in combating vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, public skepticism negatively moderated the effects of media types and public service message attributes on willingness to get vaccinated in relatively high (i.e., Group two), moderate (i.e., Group one and four), and low intensities (i.e., Group three). The pioneering findings of this research offer new strategic insights for the global health authorities and vaccine promoters to proactively address the downward spiral of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

scholarly journals 1.C. Workshop: How are digital solutions contributing to enhance immunization programmes and policies?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Childhood Vaccination ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Immunization Programmes

Abstract As vaccine hesitancy and decreasing immunization coverage have been identified by the World Health Organization as global alarming health threats, it is of crucial importance to exploit the potential offered by digital solutions to enhance immunization programmes and ultimately increase vaccine uptake. We have previously developed and published a conceptual framework outlining how digitalization can support immunization at different levels: i) when adopted for health education and communication purposes, ii) in the context of immunization programmes delivery, and iii) in the context of immunization information systems management. The proposed workshop is co-organized by the EUPHA Digital health section (EUPHA-DH) and EUPHA Infectious diseases control section (EUPHA-IDC) and aims at discussing the current AVAILABILITY, USE and IMPACT of digital solutions to support immunization programmes at the international, national and local level, as well as, debating on how technical infrastructures on one side and normative and policy frameworks on the other side enable their implementation. We plan to have a rich set of contributions covering the following: the presentation of a conceptual framework identifying and mapping the digital solutions' features having the potential to bolster immunization programmes, namely: i) Personalization and precision; ii) Automation; iii) Prediction; iv) Data analytics (including big data and interoperability); and v) Interaction; the dissemination of key results and final outputs of a Europe-wide funded project on the use of Information & Communication Technology to enhance immunization, with particular reference to the use and comparative impact of email remainders and personal electronic health records, as well as the results of an international survey conducted to map and collect best practices on the use of different digital solutions within immunization programmes at the national and regional level; the firsthand experience of the United Kingdom NHS Digital Child Health Programme which developed, implemented and is currently evaluating a number of solutions to increase childhood vaccination uptake in England, including an information standard and information sharing services developed to ensure that the details of children's vaccinations can be shared between different health care settings the perspective and experience of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for Europe and of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the global level of what has worked so far in the digitalization of immunization programmes around the world, what recommendations were developed and which barriers identified at the technical normative and policy level Key messages Digitalization has great potential to support immunization programmes but its practice and impact need to be measured. Country-level and international experiences have created qualitative and quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of digital intervention aimed at increasing vaccine uptake.

scholarly journals EXPLORING COVID-19 VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AND HESITANCY DETERMINANTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-91
Author(s):  
Tauheed Zahra ◽  
◽  
Farhan Ahmad Faiz ◽  
Farrah Ahmed ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Background ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Social Worlds ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization recognizes vaccine related myths and conspiracies as the world's top threat to public health safety, particularly in low middle-income countries. The current study aims to explore the beliefs of the general public towards the vaccine acceptance and the hesitancy. The study explicates the COVID 19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy determinants through an in-depth qualitative approach. A total of 30 male and female millennials from different education backgrounds were interviewed through an interview guide. This study reveals that people have different beliefs related to the vaccine authenticity which plays a vital role in the reluctance towards it. Findings from paper is similar to literature that people from good educational background have similar thoughts towards COVID 19 vaccination. Disregard for the vaccine was caused by various factors, such as misinformation, safety concerns, and personal knowledge. This level of distrust was associated with the social worlds that participants experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a complex relationship that involves the spread of misinformation. Vaccine programs should provide a focused, localized, and empathetic response to counter misinformation. Keywords: COVID-19, vaccines, myths, hesitancy, vaccines awareness, pandemic, conspiracy, corona virus

scholarly journals From Syphilis to Autism, How the Anti-Vaccination Movement of Today is an Echo of the Past

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh Beaveridge
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
World Health ◽  
Statistical Characteristics ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccine Preventable Diseases ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
The One ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The 19Th Century

Introduction: The anti-vaccination movement has led to decreased vaccination rates and increased vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases in the general population. In order to better understand the anti-vaccination movement of today, the anti-vaccination movement that emerged in the 19th century is examined and measured against the one observed in the 20th century. Discussion: Though the population of the 19th and 20th centuries differ in many regards and our knowledge of vaccine and immune mechanisms are far greater; the anti-vaccination movement seen today stands on the same pillars as that of the 1800s with the sentiment of fear at its core. Though the façade of these pillars has been altered to suit the world today, both movements exploited the influence of prominent public figures, maintained false associations with dire vaccine consequences and emphasized these through the use of visual media, repetition and personal narratives. The persistence of the anti-vaccination movement lies largely in the use of personal stories which are more impactful and memorable then the statistical characteristics of scientific study. Conclusion: The pro-vaccination movement must respond to the tactics used by the anti-vaccination movement and create accessible, understandable and equally impactful communication strategies in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and counter the efforts of the current anti-vaccination movement. Relevance: Vaccine hesitancy was listed amongst the top 10 global health threats in 2019 by the World Health Organization. In order to shift the negative rhetoric surrounding vaccines, the anti-vaccination movement of today and its historic roots need to be understood.

scholarly journals Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy in Indonesia: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Nuril Hanifah ◽  
Ike Herdiana ◽  
Rahkman Ardi
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Immunization Coverage ◽  
Target Population ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Health Organization

Complete children immunization coverage in Indonesia declined from 59.2% in 2013 to 57.9% in 2016. Therefore, a study on understanding the vaccination barrier is necessary to improve future coverage. This scoping review aims to identify the determinants of vaccine hesitancy using the model of the World Health Organization-Strategic Advisory Group of Expert (WHO-SAGE) working group and to map them on the basis of region, target population, and vaccine. This research used publications from seven databases (Science Direct, Wiley, Scopus, SAGE, PubMed, Springer, and Taylor & Francis) from 2015 to 2020. A total of 10,212 publications were identified and filtered by employing the PRISMA method, thereby leaving 24 publications that were featured in this review. The majority of these publications is quantitative research conducted in Aceh and Yogyakarta and investigates children complete immunization, with adults and parents being the target population. The vaccine hesitancy determinants that are mentioned the most are social-economy, religion/culture/ gender, the role of health-care professionals, cost, knowledge, and awareness about vaccine, and attitude toward preventive health behavior. However, additional evidence on the influence of contextual-focus factors in various regions in Indonesia is crucial for a further understanding of the antecedent of the relationship between determinant factors and vaccination behavior.

Networks as systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Best ◽  
Alex Berland ◽  
Trisha Greenhalgh ◽  
Ivy L. Bourgeault ◽  
Jessie E. Saul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Human Resources For Health ◽  
Flexible Structures ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Global Network ◽  
World Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Large Complex

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the World Health Organization’s Global Healthcare Workforce Alliance (GHWA). Based on a commissioned evaluation of GHWA, it applies network theory and key concepts from systems thinking to explore network emergence, effectiveness, and evolution to over a ten-year period. The research was designed to provide high-level strategic guidance for further evolution of global governance in human resources for health (HRH). Design/methodology/approach Methods included a review of published literature on HRH governance and current practice in the field and an in-depth case study whose main data sources were relevant GHWA background documents and key informant interviews with GHWA leaders, staff, and stakeholders. Sampling was purposive and at a senior level, focusing on board members, executive directors, funders, and academics. Data were analyzed thematically with reference to systems theory and Shiffman’s theory of network development. Findings Five key lessons emerged: effective management and leadership are critical; networks need to balance “tight” and “loose” approaches to their structure and processes; an active communication strategy is key to create and maintain support; the goals, priorities, and membership must be carefully focused; and the network needs to support shared measurement of progress on agreed-upon goals. Shiffman’s middle-range network theory is a useful tool when guided by the principles of complex systems that illuminate dynamic situations and shifting interests as global alliances evolve. Research limitations/implications This study was implemented at the end of the ten-year funding cycle. A more continuous evaluation throughout the term would have provided richer understanding of issues. Experience and perspectives at the country level were not assessed. Practical implications Design and management of large, complex networks requires ongoing attention to key issues like leadership, and flexible structures and processes to accommodate the dynamic reality of these networks. Originality/value This case study builds on growing interest in the role of networks to foster large-scale change. The particular value rests on the longitudinal perspective on the evolution of a large, complex global network, and the use of theory to guide understanding.

scholarly journals Buruli Ulcer: Review of a Neglected Skin Mycobacterial Disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette Guarner
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Oral Treatment ◽  
Buruli Ulcer ◽  
Mycobacterium Ulcerans ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tissue Necrosis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Skin Nodule ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACTBuruli ulcer is caused byMycobacterium ulcerans. This neglected disease occurs in scattered foci around the world, with a higher concentration of cases in West Africa. The mycobacteria produce mycolactones that cause tissue necrosis. The disease presents as a painless skin nodule that ulcerates as necrosis expands. Finding acid-fast bacilli in smears or histopathology, culturing the mycobacteria, and performingM. ulceransPCR in presumptive cases confirm the diagnosis. Medical treatment with oral rifampin and intramuscular streptomycin or oral treatment with rifampin plus clarithromycin for 8 weeks is supported by the World Health Organization. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and advances in treatment.

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