In the midst of the EVID-19 pandemic, vaccination resistance became a significant public health challenge worldwide. As scientists and health experts worked hard to develop and deliver effective vaccines, an additional barrier emerged: the mistrust and resistance of a portion of the population to immunization.

This situation has since brought the importance of vaccination to the discussion table and exposes the need for proper education by healthcare workers to counteract the negative effect of some opinion leaders and influencers who resist vaccination without sound knowledge.

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To begin with, vaccination has been one of the most effective tools in the history of medicine to prevent disease and save lives. Over the years, we have witnessed how vaccines have eradicated deadly diseases and significantly reduced the incidence of others.

However, in the age of information and social networks, we are facing a new challenge: the spread of misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, among other health issues, which, without scientific backing and sufficient knowledge, arrive massively and generate concern among the medical community.

This is not surprising. Such sources of information generate confusion and mistrust in the population, which triggers more vaccination resistance. This is not a new phenomenon. In the history of mankind, there has always been fear of immunization against diseases and various groups have opposed it. However, it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that such resistance became even more evident.

In situations such as these, it is crucial that health personnel play a fundamental role in educating the population about the importance of vaccination, as they are ultimately the ones who, beyond administering vaccines, have the necessary knowledge to provide accurate information based on scientific evidence that leads to demystifying unfounded myths.

It has been shown that education by healthcare personnel is essential to counteract vaccination resistance. Therefore, the benefits of vaccines, as well as the risks associated with non-vaccination, need to be communicated in a clear and understandable manner.

To address this challenge, it is necessary to implement effective strategies that promote the acceptance of vaccination in the population during an epidemic such as:

• Communication campaigns: fundamental to provide clear and accurate information on the importance of vaccination. These should be supported by scientific evidence and use accessible communication channels to reach different segments of the population.
• Involvement of community leaders: these individuals play a crucial role in influencing and persuading their followers. Working collaboratively can help disseminate accurate information about vaccination and countering misinformation can make a difference.
• Equitable access to vaccination: it is important to ensure that vaccination is available to all segments of the population. This involves addressing economic, geographic and cultural barriers that may hinder access to vaccines.

• Strengthening trust in health systems: it is essential to strengthen trust in both the population and health professionals. This can be achieved through transparent communication, promotion of ethics and demonstration of positive vaccination outcomes over time.

In conclusion, vaccination resistance in the population (mainly in times of epidemics or pandemics) is a challenge that must be addressed in a comprehensive manner that, while it must be met with a judicious process of pedagogy, must also involve all the actors involved.

Such resistance not only affects individuals who are left vulnerable to disease, but also has dire consequences for public health, such as outbreaks of preventable diseases that increase the burden on health systems, put at risk those patients who cannot receive vaccines due to underlying medical conditions, and also only prolong the duration of a health crisis, making the economic and social recovery of the affected population more difficult.

Column references

• Hernández E, Lamus F, Díaz D, Rojas K, Torres J, Acevedo L. Population vaccination resistance in times of epidemics: apropos of COVID-19. Rev Panam Salud Pública. 2022.

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