Vaccination Hesitancy

Measles is a highly contagious virus with a primary case reproduction number (i.e., the average number of secondary cases per case patient) of 12 to 18. It is currently spreading rapidly owing to reduced measles vaccination coverage, which is due primarily to the disruption of local immunization programs by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and of growing vaccine hesitancy.1 Since 2024, all World Health Organization (WHO) regions have reported increased numbers of measles cases, with 395,521 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported in 2024 and 16,147 reported during the first 2 months of 2025.2 Patients in more than half the reported cases were hospitalized, so the true number is probably much higher.3
This review covers clinical presentations and complications of measles, current recommendations, and the epidemiologic background of measles. It also addresses the current debates on immunization and the treatment of measles and presents information on the origins of the various measles vaccines and updates on measles diagnostic testing and molecular genotypes.

Author/s:

Lien Anh Ha Do, Kim Mulholland

Addressing Faith-Based Concerns about Vaccination

Hope Smashey — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 02:16:02 +0000

Date Added:

November 25, 2025

Publisher:

J Am Board Fam Med .

Publication Date:

November 24, 2025

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

732-734

URL:

Addressing Faith-Based Concerns about Vaccination

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.3122/jabfm.2025.250038R1

Keywords

PMID (1):

41115758

MeSH

Spirituality

Vaccination Hesitancy

Educational Status

vaccination

vaccines

Research-based recommendations for addressing faith-based concerns about immunizations. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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Religious beliefs are cited as one cause of declining vaccination rates, and religious participation has been associated with hesitancy to receive vaccines. However, many personal vaccine objections attributed to faith-based reasons are more likely matters of personal faith interpretation rather than based on the teachings or traditions of a religious community. Studies have demonstrated ways faith-based hesitancy or skepticism toward vaccines can be addressed at both the individual level and the community level. Evidence to date suggests faith-based vaccine hesitancy and may be best approached through education that addresses and accounts for the patient's spirituality, and by collaboration with organizations that are connected to patients' religious communities.

Author/s:

William E Cayley Jr

Covid-19 Vaccines — Immunity, Variants, Boosters

Aubrey Delammermore — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

September 8, 2022

Journal/Publication:

The New England Journal of Medicine

Publisher:

Massachusetts Medical Society

Publication Date:

August 31, 2022

URL:

Covid-19 Vaccines — Immunity, Variants, Boosters

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1056/NEJMra2206573

Keywords

PMID (1):

36044620

MeSH

Vaccination Hesitancy

A summary of the current state of knowledge regarding COVID vaccines and emerging COVID variants. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has claimed an estimated 15 million lives, including more than 1 million lives in the United States alone. The rapid development of multiple Covid-19 vaccines has been a triumph of biomedical research, and billions of vaccine doses have been administered worldwide. Challenges facing the Covid-19 vaccine field include inequitable vaccine distribution, vaccine hesitancy, waning immunity, and the emergence of highly transmissible viral variants that partially escape antibodies. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about immune responses to Covid-19 vaccines and the importance of both humoral and cellular immunity for durable protection against severe disease.

Author/s:

Barouch, D. H.