LONDON — Confidence. Complacency. Convenience. Those are the factors the World Health Organization has highlighted as driving the rise of vaccine hesitancy around the world, labelling it one of the biggest threats to global health in 2019.
The rise of the “anti-vax” movement has grabbed headlines over the past year, as Europe and the United States grapple with a loss of trust in the efficacy and safety of vaccines, leading to measles outbreaks on a scale not seen for two decades.
WHO has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the greatest threats to global health. Devex is exploring the rise of vaccine hesitancy and what it means for global health efforts.
But there’s more to vaccine hesitancy than that. Far less reported, others have become reluctant to accept vaccines, either because they don’t believe they need them as risk levels have dropped, or because of a lack of education about the importance of vaccines, or because they see it as too inconvenient — and this is happening around the world.
Over the past few weeks, Devex has been exploring how the rise of vaccine hesitancy is impacting global health efforts. We saw how it has put aid workers at risk in Pakistan, found out how people are avoiding vaccination requirements in Nigeria, looked at the drivers and potential solutions to the issue globally, and heard from experts about how to rebuild confidence.
Read our stories, or watch the video to find out more.
About the authors
Jessica Abrahams@jiabrahams
Jessica Abrahams is a former editor of Devex Pro. She helped to oversee news, features, data analysis, events, and newsletters for Devex Pro members. Before that, she served as deputy news editor and as an associate editor, with a particular focus on Europe. She has also worked as a writer, researcher, and editor for Prospect magazine, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg News, among other outlets. Based in London, Jessica holds graduate degrees in journalism from City University London and in international relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.
Naomi Mihara
Naomi Mihara is an Associate Editor for Devex, working on creative and audiovisual projects. She has a background in journalism and international development, having previously served as an assistant correspondent for Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and as a communications officer for the International Organization for Migration in Southeast Asia. She holds a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University.
