Palliser Primary Care Network

Vaccine Hesitancy

Tessa Schaub
April 1, 2026

Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge to community health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as being reluctant or refusing to get vaccinated, even when vaccines are available. Vaccine hesitancy can lower immunization rates and increase the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The WHO lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats and estimates that up to 1.5 million deaths could be prevented through vaccination (WHO, 2019).

There are many factors that can influence the decision to get vaccinated. The first factor includes things like the media, influential leaders, politics, ease of access, and one’s opinion of the drug industry. The second factor is individual and group influences like personal or family experiences; social networks, expected outcomes, and distrust in government systems. The final factor is related to the immunizations themselves, such as being wary of new vaccines, disliking needles, scheduling, not trusting scientific evidence and lack of supply of vaccine (AHS, 2025).

Below is a model that can help explain the key internal factors that can influence vaccine hesitancy.

Fig.1 The 5C Model of Vaccine Hesitancy (Adapted from Nwachukwu et al., 2024)

As a patient, being open and honest with your health home team is an important step in addressing vaccine hesitancy. You are encouraged to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss any fears or past experiences related to vaccines during your appointments. Your health home team can offer reliable, evidenced based information to help you make an informed decision. These conversations can help build trust and support you in making decisions about your health.