Vaccination hesitancy among healthcare professionals : a Literature Review

Abstract

This thesis aims to help healthcare professionals understand common beliefs about vaccines and which factors can influence people’s vaccination decisions. The study looks at healthcare professionals’ general opinions about vaccines, where they get their information, and how cultural background, among other things, affects vaccine hesitancy, criticism, and acceptance. By understanding the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy and beliefs, healthcare professionals can be supported and educated to better support their patients about vaccines in the future. This thesis reviews existing research and uses data from trusted academic and evidencebased sources. A literature review was used to understand better the reasons for healthcare professionals' attitudes and decisions. The data was analyzed by using twentyfive articles inductive content analysis, which looks for common patterns and themes. The results showed that healthcare professionals' beliefs and cultural backgrounds significantly influence how they view vaccines. This was reflected in vaccination rates, opinions found in the research, and how willing health professionals were to take certain vaccines. Beliefs were shaped by media messages, fear of side effects, lack of trust in health authorities, and how public health officials communicated about vaccines. Because of this, healthcare professionals should aim to have open, respectful conversations with patients. Listening to their concerns and understanding their background can help build trust and encourage more people to feel safe and confident about getting vaccinated.

Keywords: Vaccination review; vaccine hesitancy; vaccination attitudes; behavior; vaccination hesitancy in healthcare professionals.