Vaccine Acceptance: Barriers, Perceived Risks, Benefits, and Irrational Beliefs

In spite of evidence that immunization is one of the most lifesaving public health measures of the last century, a growing number of people are hesitating about vaccination. The chapter examines the complex interplay of individual and sociocultural factors that influence vaccine acceptance. Individual barriers to vaccine acceptance, such as fear of side effects, low perception of the efficacy, negative past experiences with vaccination services, lack of knowledge, are discussed as well as the broader sociocultural context within which these barriers to vaccination acceptance are rooted. A special focus is placed on the influence of risk perception on vaccination decisions and on vaccine risk communication.