What's Behind the Global Increase in Vaccine Skepticism?

Health experts are sounding alarm bells as vaccine hesitancy continues to grow worldwide. However, the key to reversing this trend may lie in understanding why some people are shying away from routine shots so that health officials can more effectively address their concerns.

Vaccination is a proven strategy to prevent a wide range of debilitating and sometimes deadly diseases. Estimates suggest that since 1974, vaccination programs targeting 14 pathogens have prevented 154 million deaths worldwide.

However, a rise in vaccine skepticism has emerged over the past few years, impacting vaccination rates in the United States and Europe. If this movement continues, health officials say it could lead to outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases and threaten global health.

While the vaccine hesitancy trend has been the subject of intense debate among health experts and pro and anti-vaccine groups, these conversations have not produced tangible solutions to the problem. Public service messages from health officials have done little to reverse the trend. Meanwhile, people who consider themselves vaccine-hesitant are becoming more entrenched in their beliefs.

So, getting to the root of the problem may involve more than public service messages and blanket statements about how critical vaccines are for public health. Instead, understanding why some people are wary of vaccines could help identify what's driving the trend, leading to open dialogue about effectively addressing the issue.

Vaccine hesitancy statistics

Statistical data suggests that 31% of people in Poland are skeptical about vaccines, with Austria, France, and Germany at around 24%. Moreover, 21% of people in Italy and the Netherlands and 16% of individuals in Spain and the United Kingdom question the safety of vaccines.

Meanwhile, a 2024 Gallup report found that Americans' belief in vaccines is waning. The results showed that 40% of respondents said it's extremely important for parents to vaccinate their children—down from 58% in 2019 and 64% in 2001.

The rising trend toward vaccine hesitancy has translated to an uptick in school-related childhood vaccination exemptions. According to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, exemptions increased from 2.6% in 2021-22 to 3.3% in 2023-24.

In 14 regions of the country, vaccine exemption levels reached 5%.

Moreover, national vaccine coverage rates are dropping, from 95% during the 2019-20 school year to below 93% during 2023–24.

Statistics also show that some European countries are experiencing low vaccination rates, even lower than the U.S. For example, 2023 data revealed that 12 European countries had vaccination rates below 90% for the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Health policy and advocacy expert Kavelle Christie, MSc, tells Wellnesspulse that the increase in vaccine hesitancy in Europe mirrors that of the U.S., driven by similar concerns about governmental control and misinformation.

While there are regional differences in legislation and public health response, many European nations also grapple with anti-vaccine sentiments. Both regions face a growing disconnect between science and public trust, exacerbated by the political climate and social media platforms where misinformation spreads rapidly.

-Christie

Why are people wary of vaccines?

While statistics suggest that Americans and Europeans are becoming more hesitant to vaccinate, it's unclear why this trend is growing.

According to a 2021 article published in Institut Montaigne's Expressions, vaccine opposition is not new, as it has occurred since English physician Edward Jenner developed the first smallpox vaccine in 1796.

Historically, opposition has been primarily due to cultural, religious, ethical, and political beliefs, and these reasons continue to contribute to the issue centuries later.

An overall rejection of science is another possible explanation for vaccine hesitancy. However, a 2021 study involving 192 pro-vaccine and 156 anti-vaccine group members found that while pro-vaccine individuals had stronger pro-science beliefs than those who oppose vaccines, most anti-vaccine participants agreed with pro-science statements. These include statements like — it's rational to believe only what is scientifically proven and that science is the most effective means of finding the truth.

"This result supports the assumption that vaccine rejection does not necessarily mean rejection of science, and there are different reasons for being skeptical about vaccines," the study authors wrote.

Another potential reason for vaccine hesitancy is a lack of education about how vaccines work, their safety, and effectiveness. However, some research has found the opposite.

For example, a study published in 2022 found that vaccine skepticism rates were 16.8% among non-academic participants and 20.1% among those with bachelor's degrees.

A Carnegie Mellon University study showed that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was highest among people with a Ph.D. (23.9%), followed by individuals with an education level of high school or less (20.8%). The results also showed that people with a master's degree were least likely to be vaccine-hesitant.

Meanwhile, a more recent investigation suggests that each additional year of education decreases vaccine hesitancy by around 16 percentage points.

So, the evidence doesn't clearly explain why some people shy away from disease-preventing vaccinations. If not education level or simply the rejection of science, then what is it?

In a 2024 article published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, the authors widened the topic's scope, suggesting that reasons behind vaccine skepticism may be based on several factors, many of which could make it challenging to overcome.

More clues emerge on social media

Social media platforms are ripe with debate over the uptick in vaccine skeptics. For instance, in a recent Reddit post, commenters engaged in a heated exchange over vaccine hesitancy.

Redditors offered several possible reasons why some people are skeptical, including:

• Distrust of government and vaccine companies
• Experiencing or witnessing adverse effects following vaccination
• Questioning whether vaccines could cause autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders
• Dislike of government vaccine mandates
• Concerns with the number of childhood vaccines now versus decades ago
• Lack of vaccine manufacturer liability
• The fast-tracking of the COVID-19 vaccine and mistrust in mRNA technology
• Believing misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines

Experts weigh in

Melva Thompson-Robinson, professor at the UNLV School of Nursing, tells Wellnesspulse that some people are vaccine-hesitant or anti-vaccine because they listen to non-health professionals citing information that has been debunked or is not medically and scientifically accurate.

"We live in a time where people are listening to soundbites that only provide a snippet of the information, or where people who do not have the requisite training speak freely about things that may work for them but are not applicable to others," Thompson-Robinson explains. "These soundbites or other pieces of information are not medically and scientifically accurate but go viral and lead to mass levels of misinformation."

Christie tells Wellnesspulse there are several reasons why some people are vaccine-hesitant or anti-vaccine, and mis- and disinformation play a pivotal role.

"Misinformation, particularly through social media, has spread unverified claims and conspiracy theories about vaccine safety and efficacy," Christie explains. "This kind of disinformation has created confusion and fear, which feeds into broader societal distrust of public health measures."

Did the COVID-19 vaccine spark the hesitancy trend?

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the rapid development of vaccines to combat the disease. After extensive research, health authorities have concluded that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. While adverse events following vaccination, such as myocarditis or heart muscle inflammation, have been reported, they are rare.

Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to monitor the vaccines for safety signals.

However, the speed of development and newness of the COVID shot may have helped spark the uptick in vaccine skepticism, which potentially expanded into other disease-preventing vaccines.

For example, a survey conducted in 2023 by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the number of Americans who believe vaccines are safe fell from 77% to 71% since 2021.

Moreover, the number of people questioning the safety of FDA-approved vaccines increased from 9% in 2021 to 16% in 2023.

Christie tells Wellnesspulse there is an unmistakable increase in vaccine hesitancy in the U.S. and Europe. This trend has been growing over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic only amplified it.

Thompson-Robinson also believes vaccine hesitancy increased due to COVID-19 and the resulting vaccines.

Messaging from the governmental health sources were not always clear to the public about what they should be doing, what the side effects were, what COVID-19 was, what the treatments were for COVID-19. We had people who called themselves health professionals that were recommending treatments that did not work to treat COVID-19.

-Thompson-Robinson

Thompson-Robinson says it created a situation where the public was unsure about what was happening, which resulted in some people avoiding COVID-19 vaccines.

Political uncertainty

According to Christie, people who follow Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be more skeptical of vaccines.

"His stance, which promotes unproven alternative treatments, has gained traction in certain circles, further cementing vaccine hesitancy as a political issue," Christie says. "This has not only increased skepticism about vaccines but also contributed to the rise of anti-vaccination movements, which are pushing for changes to public health policies."

With RFK Jr. officially confirmed as the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), vaccine hesitancy may gain momentum in the U.S.

Ultimately, it will depend on how the new HHS secretary approaches this critical public health concern, which is currently unknown.

Strategies to reduce vaccine hesitancy

Since it has become more widespread, easing vaccine hesitancy on a global scale may require a multifaceted approach, starting with recognizing and acknowledging the concerns of vaccine-skeptical individuals.

Thompson-Robinson notes that healthcare providers and government agencies are responsible for ensuring that medically and scientifically accurate information is provided to the community.

"Messaging has to be provided by people in ways that reach the community and public at large," Thompson-Robinson says. "Reminders also need to be provided that the reason we don't have outbreaks of diseases, such as measles, anymore is because of childhood vaccinations. We cannot use the logic that because we can't see anything, we don't need vaccinations."

Christie explains that healthcare providers and government agencies must first recognize the broader context of vaccine hesitancy, which involves political, social, and cultural dynamics.

"One of the most effective strategies is to engage authentically with communities most affected by vaccine hesitancy," Christie concludes. "Rather than imposing top-down messages, it's essential to open a dialogue that actively listens to and addresses the concerns of these communities."