Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Factors associated with vaccine hesitance among literate population

5^th International Conference on Vaccines and Immunology & 32^nd International Conference on Cardiology and Heart Failure

MAY 23, 2022 | Webinar

Anita Bhargava

John Snow India Private Limited, India

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Cine hesitancy remains one of the challenges that intensifies as soon as new vaccines are introduced among the population. The vaccine hesitancy trends persist and associated risks have arguable increased in the recent years. Vaccine hesitancy can be understood as the reluctance of people to receive safe and recommended available vaccines. Mythically, allopathic vaccines are associated with side effects and sometimes develops as well, the hesitancy increases many folds. For example, one of the published works of Andrew Wakefield’s talked about fallacious association between measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and autism which swept the trust of entire generation towards the vaccines. Skepticism and rejection of vaccines among a chunk of population is as old as vaccine technology itself. Vaccine hesitancy differs person to person, however, one of the framework developed from the researches done in the high-income countries coined determinants of vaccine hesitancy- confidence, complacency, convenience (or constraints), risk calculation and collective responsibility. During the year 2020, when Covid-19 was declared as “global pandemic”, the mortality was surging high across the globe. The evidences compiled by WHO revealed that the pandemic has disrupted the two decades progress embarked by universal health coverage. India embarked the Covid mass campaign on 16th January 2021 across the country operating 3006 vaccination centers on the onset and about 165,714 people were vaccinated on the first day of availability. Till date, about 185.20 crore population has been vaccinated. As soon as vaccines were introduced, waves of vaccine hesitancy hit the program. Side-effects and AEFIs were the foremost determinants that barricaded the decision of seeking vaccination to build immunity against the deadly virus. Furthermore, since they were created quickly and trials were not sufficient to ensure that the vaccines were safe. However, the manufacturers proclaimed that it was carefully tested for safety. Some of the mortality occurred after inoculation intensified the hesitancy against the vaccines. Since addressing to vaccine hesitancy is not an easy task, multitude of factors potentially influences the decisions to seek out or accept vaccination for self or for children. Taking into account such fear, the verified doctors recommended that the vaccines were safe and taking vaccines would build up immunity against the deadly virus. At the end, vaccine hesitancy can be overcome by addressing specific issues through communication, counseling through IEC materials and one to one interaction between the healthcare giver and the beneficiary.

Biography :

Anita Bhargava has an extensive background in public health. Currently, she is working as Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Officer in JSI India, and a globally recognized non-profit organization whose contribution in the field of immunization and domains of public health are immense and evident. She bears more than nine years of extensive experience of research and evidence-based studies. Her recent activities include intensive work towards routine immunization in the selected states of the country and her prime role is to eagle eye the progress of the learners towards improvement of their knowledge and skills on routine immunization through a capacity building package RISE (Rapid Immunization Skill Enhancement). She is dispensing her immense volume of experience in her research interest areas such as immunization, reproductive and maternal health, sexual health, monitoring and evaluation, theory of change, policies and programs. She is actively involved in showcasing her research work at various platforms such as blogs, research and review paper publication and conference/webinar platforms.