Vaccine hesitancy: Understanding to act better

Vaccination is a highly effective public health measure to prevent disease. However, more and more people have significant fears and doubts about vaccines. It is estimated that one in three people are hesitant to get vaccinated or to have their child(ren) vaccinated. This phenomenon is called "vaccine hesitancy". Hesitant people may refuse certain vaccines or delay vaccination and these behaviours have been associated with outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles. This situation is particularly concerning in the context of COVID-19 vaccination, as vaccine hesitancy could undermine the success of the vaccination campaign. This program aims to better understand why people are hesitant to get vaccinated or to have their child(ren) vaccinated, as well as to examine why some health professionals are hesitant about vaccination. In addition, work will be conducted to develop and evaluate solutions to reduce fears and doubts about vaccination and promote informed vaccination decisions. Various qualitative (interviews, ethnographic research) and quantitative (surveys) research projects will be carried out to do this.