Potential Factors Contributing to Vaccine Hesitancy among Parents in Malaysia: An Overview

Reducing child mortality by facilitating universal access to safe vaccines of proven efficacy appears to be a moral obligation for the international community. Immunisation has brought enormous positive impacts on the health of children worldwide. In Malaysia, the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) was established in the 1950s with the missions of protecting the child population from vaccine-preventable diseases, reducing endemic cases, as well as decreasing the morbidity and mortality rates associated with vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there are an increasing number of individuals who perceived it as unsafe and unnecessary although vaccination programme has been recognised as one of the most successful preventive measures in public health. Thus, this article provides an overview regarding the potential factors that might contribute to vaccine hesitancy in Malaysia. Vaccine hesitancy issues could be explained based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and 3s model by World Health Organisation (WHO). Several prominent factors have been associated with vaccine hesitancy, such as low awareness about the benefits of vaccination; availability, accessibility, and affordability; misconception and concern about side effects of vaccine; as well as preferred alternatives medicines. These factors might contribute to the increasing trend of Malaysian parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. Thus, more in-depth studies are warranted to tackle these pressing issues.