Communication strategies in childhood vaccine hesitancy: scoping review
1
Department of preventive and social medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3327
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Vaccination is recognized as one of the main public health strategies for reducing infectious diseases and the mortality associated with them. Vaccination has been affected by the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy, a concept formally defined in 2014 by the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). This study aimed to analyze how communicative configurations are addressed in empirical studies on childhood vaccine hesitancy, with an emphasis on the strategies and communication channels used, as well as on the ways these elements influence the decisions of parents and caregivers.
METHODS:
A scoping review was conducted across five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS) on childhood vaccine hesitancy and communication strategies, including articles published between 2015 and 2017 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Empirical studies on childhood vaccination were included, with children’s age defined by the study authors themselves. Information extracted independently by five researchers was analyzed through thematic synthesis, based on a coding matrix that categorized the findings into central themes. The analysis was theoretically guided by Hepp and Hasebrink’s concept of communicative configurations.
RESULTS:
Twenty-two studies were analyzed, most of which were conducted in the United States (n = 9) and primarily involved parents/caregivers and healthcare professionals. Social media emerged as a central medium, playing an ambivalent role: both as a source of misinformation and as a channel for pro-vaccination messages. Strategies using clear scientific messages, the MOTIVE tool, and analyses of anti-vaccine discourse proved promising in increasing vaccination intention. Trust-based relationships between physicians and families and message personalization were identified as fundamental.
CONCLUSIONS:
Health communication is essential in addressing childhood vaccine hesitancy. The reviewed studies indicate that integrated strategies—combining evidence-based public policies with personalized and culturally sensitive communication—are crucial for promoting vaccine uptake and greater confidence in vaccines.
Vaccination is recognized as one of the main public health strategies for reducing infectious diseases and the mortality associated with them. Vaccination has been affected by the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy, a concept formally defined in 2014 by the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). This study aimed to analyze how communicative configurations are addressed in empirical studies on childhood vaccine hesitancy, with an emphasis on the strategies and communication channels used, as well as on the ways these elements influence the decisions of parents and caregivers.
METHODS:
A scoping review was conducted across five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS) on childhood vaccine hesitancy and communication strategies, including articles published between 2015 and 2017 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Empirical studies on childhood vaccination were included, with children’s age defined by the study authors themselves. Information extracted independently by five researchers was analyzed through thematic synthesis, based on a coding matrix that categorized the findings into central themes. The analysis was theoretically guided by Hepp and Hasebrink’s concept of communicative configurations.
RESULTS:
Twenty-two studies were analyzed, most of which were conducted in the United States (n = 9) and primarily involved parents/caregivers and healthcare professionals. Social media emerged as a central medium, playing an ambivalent role: both as a source of misinformation and as a channel for pro-vaccination messages. Strategies using clear scientific messages, the MOTIVE tool, and analyses of anti-vaccine discourse proved promising in increasing vaccination intention. Trust-based relationships between physicians and families and message personalization were identified as fundamental.
CONCLUSIONS:
Health communication is essential in addressing childhood vaccine hesitancy. The reviewed studies indicate that integrated strategies—combining evidence-based public policies with personalized and culturally sensitive communication—are crucial for promoting vaccine uptake and greater confidence in vaccines.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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