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
In addition to the rise of vaccine hesitancy, Americans’ short collective memory is also contributing to low vaccination rates.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Cases surged in Mennonite communities — which have high rates of vaccine hesitancy — and have rippled out across Mexico in the country’s biggest outbreak in decades.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
What’s driving vaccine hesitancy?
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
What erodes trust is not presumption, but the failure to listen, to acknowledge fear and identity, and to recognize that vaccine hesitancy is rarely about data alone.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vaccine hesitancy
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Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Cases surged in Mennonite communities — which have high rates of vaccine hesitancy — and have rippled out across Mexico in the country’s biggest outbreak in decades.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
What’s driving vaccine hesitancy?
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
What erodes trust is not presumption, but the failure to listen, to acknowledge fear and identity, and to recognize that vaccine hesitancy is rarely about data alone.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 31 Jan. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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?
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