The neoliberal roots of modern vaccine hesitancy
Journal Title: Journal of Health and Social Sciences - Year 2019, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Popular resistance to vaccines is not a new phenomenon and has been widely documented by medical historians. The latest iteration of this resistance, however, is popularly referred to as ‘vaccine hesitancy’ and reflects a host of beliefs and social and institutional influences. While it may be tempting to dismiss the views of those who resist vaccines, immunization policies and practice cannot be devised in isolation from the contemporary political and social landscape. Understanding the socio-political meanings that lay people assign to vaccines and the manner in which they communicate these concerns via media is essential for public health practitioners to consider when formulating immunization policy and education praxis. One such meaning that, to date, has received relatively less attention is the socio-political ideology of neoliberalism. We argue that the undercurrent of neoliberal sensibilities expressed in media stories points to another key social factor that must be considered when seeking public health solutions to the growing vaccine hesitancy movement.
Authors and Affiliations
Chris Sanders, Kristin Burnett
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP612752
- DOI 10.19204/2019/thnl4
- Views 114
- Downloads 0
An explanatory case report about critical differences of ‘inability to work’ in Italian welfare and social security systems
In Italy, there is a different status of ‘inability to work’ in civil invalidity and INPS social security insurance systems. These differences and overlaps cause some concerns. We show a case report of a 55-year-old woma...
Learning to live: The role of education policy for improving the quality of primary and preventative healthcare in the United States
From a policy standpoint, education and healthcare are often discussed separately in the United States. A review of the current literature reveals that education can be a strong predictor of individual health outcomes, i...
Sustaining reductions in postoperative nausea and vomiting after evidence-based practice initiative: A success story
Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains a signifi cant problem in the surgical population. Many researchers have demonstrated signifi cant reductions in institutional PONV when risk screening and ant...
Tuberculous cardiac tamponade presenting as severe hypoxic hepatitis
A 57-year-old man was referred to the Emergency Department with epigastric and respiratory dependent pain for six days. The physical examination showed mild jaundice, painful liver and muffled heart sounds. Laboratory te...
Combatting the shortage of physicians to alleviate work-related strain
Editorial More and more often, physicians and healthcare workers worldwide are experiencing depression, burnout syndrome, and alcohol and substance abuse, as well as a higher risk of suicide than the general population....