Media Coverage, Local Outbreaks Changing Views on Vaccine Hesitancy
A HealthDay Harris Poll highlights the most recent feelings patients have towards vaccines amid outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illness and changes at the federal level impacting public health policy.
At least half of US adults reported that recent disease outbreaks and media coverage were key contributors for why they’ve changed their views on vaccines, according to a HealthDay Harris Poll.1
“I don't think we really fully understand all of the social determinants of vaccine hesitancy, and the problem is that vaccine hesitancy is now a lethal force in America. You don't want to wait for an epidemic to convince people of this,” Peter Jay Hotez, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, told HealthDay.2,3
From measles outbreaks in Texas to an increase in whooping cough cases taking the lives of at least a dozen patients,4 recent events have placed a spotlight on the idea of vaccine hesitancy in the US. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of vaccine hesitancy have persisted and Hotez said he doesn’t believe mass mortalities will change the minds of the vaccine-hesitant.
READ MORE: Q&A: Pharmacists Can Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy Through Trust and Communication | APhA 2025
Vaccine hesitancy has yet again reached the national spotlight amid outbreaks of VPDs. | image credit: Vitaliy / stock.adobe.com
“In areas, more conservative areas, more rural areas of the country where people refuse COVID vaccines, they're still doubling down,” Hotez continued.2 “They're still not getting boosters and that sort of thing. So, I'm not even convinced that even that is what turns people around.”
However, according to the HealthDay Harris Poll, increased media coverage of outbreaks for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) has impacted opinions amongst the public. Presenting responses for a total of 2092 US adults, the poll showed that local VPD outbreaks impacted 67% of participants’ decisions regarding vaccination. Slightly fewer participants (54%) agreed that the media coverage accompanying these outbreaks has contributed to more support for immunization efforts.1
Further highlighting the COVID-19 pandemic as a key factor, 44% of respondents said their views on vaccines have changed in the last 5 years. Of those respondents, 25% became more supportive during that time span while 19% became less supportive. Finally, 90% of the participants reported that they seek certified health care providers for vaccine information and 34% said political and religious beliefs were the fuel behind their vaccine decisions.
“Of course, you don't want to wait for an epidemic to convince people [to get vaccinated],” continued Hotez.2 “And even here in West Texas, where we're seeing a large measles epidemic, there is some of a catch-up campaign, and now people are starting to get it and getting vaccinated, but a lot of people aren't. So, I don't know that we want to rely on that as our long-term approach.”
It's not just measles or whooping cough that have caused a stir within the topic of immunization. Since the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, experts are concerned that vaccine hesitancy is on the rise due to RFK Jr’s views that many consider to be anti-vaccine.
“He will now oversee agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” wrote the BBC upon RFK Jr being sworn into office.5 “Kennedy will also be charged with overseeing the US health industry which includes food safety, pharmaceuticals, public health, and vaccinations.”
However, reports like the HealthDay Harris Poll provide a hopeful look toward the future of immunization in the US. While debates continue around vaccines that have been clinically proven to be effective, experts fear what the road ahead may bring.
“I'm very concerned about the rise in deaths from vaccine refusal during COVID. I'm worried about spilling over to childhood immunizations in the US. I'm worried about globalizing to other countries as well, that US style [of] anti-vaccine activism,” concluded Hotez.2 “It's going to be really important to see how we can walk this back. I don't see the current events putting us in the right direction, maybe down the road.”
READ MORE: Immunization Resource Center
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