vaccine hesitancy
noun
plural vaccine hesitancies
: the reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated
Vaccine hesitancy can contribute to the continued spread of disease because vaccinations are not being administered.—
Fred Steiner
Fred SteinerScientists are expressing concern over what they call "vaccine hesitancy" regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.—Katie Camero
Katie CameroWHO [World Health Organization] notes that measles cases have increased by 30 percent across the globe, and while not all cases are due to vaccine hesitancies, some countries that had nearly eliminated the disease have seen its return.—Katie Gillespie
Katie GillespieExamples of vaccine hesitancy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet despite the success of COVID vaccines, the pandemic also coincided with an increase in vaccine hesitancy or distrust worldwide, fueled in part by anti-vax activism.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Some worry that this proposal could further fuel vaccine hesitancy by reinforcing unfounded fears about combination vaccines and ultimately leading to fewer children receiving timely protection against serious diseases.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Increasing vaccine hesitancy is just one factor.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
Native people have been harmed as a direct result of the colonial policies of reservations, the underfunding of the Indian Health Service, the lack of access to PPE [masks and other protective equipment] and now, in some areas, the targeting of the Native community to increase vaccine hesitancy.
—Suzette Brewer, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaccine hesitancy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Some worry that this proposal could further fuel vaccine hesitancy by reinforcing unfounded fears about combination vaccines and ultimately leading to fewer children receiving timely protection against serious diseases.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Increasing vaccine hesitancy is just one factor.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
Native people have been harmed as a direct result of the colonial policies of reservations, the underfunding of the Indian Health Service, the lack of access to PPE [masks and other protective equipment] and now, in some areas, the targeting of the Native community to increase vaccine hesitancy.
—Suzette Brewer, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaccine hesitancy
Cite this Entry
“Vaccine hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaccine%20hesitancy. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
vaccine hesitancy
noun
: the reluctance or refusal to have oneself or one's children vaccinated
Scientists are expressing concern over what they call "vaccine hesitancy" regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.—Katie Camero, The Miami Herald
Katie Camero, The Miami HeraldReasons for vaccine hesitancy fit into 3 categories: lack of confidence (in effectiveness, safety, the system, or policy makers), complacency (perceived low risk of acquiring VPDs [vaccine preventable diseases]), and lack of convenience …—Shixin Shen and Vinita Dubey, Canadian Family Physician
Shixin Shen and Vinita Dubey, Canadian Family PhysicianWHO [World Health Organization] notes that measles cases have increased by 30 percent across the globe, and while not all cases are due to vaccine hesitancies, some countries that had nearly eliminated the disease have seen its return.—Katie Gillespie, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington)
Katie Gillespie, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington)Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share