The World Health Organization listed "vaccine hesitancy" -- defined as the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate, despite the availability of vaccines -- among the top 10 health threats of 2019.
Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways to avoid disease, preventing 2-3 million deaths annually, according to the organization. An additional 1.5 million more deaths could be prevented if vaccines were more widely available globally.
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Measles is one disease that was nearly eliminated by vaccinations, but there has been a 30 percent increase in cases globally, according to WHO. The organization says that people who choose not to vaccinate threaten "to reverse the progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases."
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WHO notes that not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy, but that it plays a role in the spike. The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex, the organization says, and include complacency, inconvenience accessing vaccines and a lack of confidence in their safety or effectiveness.
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Concerns about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines have abounded for several centuries, especially before pathology and proper sanitation were well-understood. The anti-vaccination movement has seen a resurgence in the U.S. since 2007, according to the Measles and Rubella Initiative, largely due to celebrities' influence.
Visit the World Health Organization's website for more information about vaccine safety.