Session 12

Are we having the wrong conversation about vaccine hesitancy?

How to address the health inequalities affecting vaccine decision-making

Organised by EuroHealthNet and the RIVER-EU project

Vaccine coverage across Europe remains uneven despite the significant attention given to ‘closing the gap’. A common explanation for differences in coverage is vaccine hesitancy. However, emphasising hesitancy places the burden of change on un- or under-vaccinated individuals while ignoring important inequalities and barriers which may influence their vaccine decision-making.

Health behaviours, including vaccine decision-making, are grounded in wider determinants of health and should be considered as ‘proxy indicators’ not primary causes affecting health outcomes. To address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy and sustainably improve equitable vaccine uptake, larger inequalities in our political systems and health service provision must be addressed.  

You are invited to join this session to discuss identified barriers and enablers to vaccine uptake and ways that health authorities and stakeholders can implement systemic changes to make vaccination services more equitable and attractive to improve vaccine uptake for all.