key: cord-0930396-mntsc0hd
authors: Fisher, Allison; Mbaeyi, Sarah; Cohn, Amanda
title: Commentary: Addressing vaccine hesitancy in the age of COVID-19
date: 2021-03-19
journal: Acad Pediatr
DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.03.013
sha: 60023a445922380f218d26f534bc73e02183c5e0
doc_id: 930396
cord_uid: mntsc0hd

nan

Word count: 786/1,014 including references As the world follows the progress of vaccine uptake in the fight against COVID-19, we are once again reminded of how vaccines can impact our personal health and the health of our communities. But even as we look to safe and effective vaccines as the best way forward, vaccine hesitancy already threatens our ability to effectively protect communities from vaccine-preventable diseases (1) . Vaccine hesitancy is nothing new; however, the speed of information sharing in our global community has accelerated the spread of both accurate vaccine information and vaccine misinformation. Recent measles outbreaks in the United States have demonstrated how the spread of misinformation has a real-world impact, particularly in close-knit communities (2) . Persistent under-immunization--associated with factors like vaccine hesitancy and healthcare access--challenge us to make sure that vaccine-preventable infections like measles, pertussis, and human papillomavirus do not continue to cause preventable illness and death. messengers and partners to address myths and misinformation, particularly online. This framework is intended to be flexible in adapting to the ever-changing dynamics of vaccine hesitancy across the lifespanfrom addressing measles outbreaks due to vaccine refusal in close-knit communities to identifying and responding to hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines among adults.

In this issue, authors explore different ways to measure, understand, and address vaccine hesitancy. At every level-from individual parents, making decisions for their families, to community conversations about the value of vaccines-evidence-based solutions can help us maintain the protection from diseases that we sometimes take for granted. While vaccine hesitancy, and the potential for vaccine delay and refusal that may follow, can lead to disease outbreaks and preventable illness, we continue to learn more about both the complex decisions surrounding vaccine hesitancy and effective ways to build vaccine confidence. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to build strong, resilient systems for strengthening vaccine confidence, both to address the current threat and prepare for the next one.

World Health Organization. Ten Threats to Global Health in 2019

Increase in Measles Cases -United States

Vaccination coverage by age 24 months among children born in 2016 and 2017 -National Immunization Survey-Child

Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten -United States, 2019-20 School Year

Vaccine hesitancy: Causes, consequences, and a call to action

Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism

Parental hesitancy about routine childhood and influenza vaccinations: A national survey

Childhood Immunizations: First-Time Expectant Mothers' Knowledge, Beliefs, Intentions, and Behaviors

The architecture of provider-parent vaccine discussions at health supervision visits

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccinate with Confidence