While the potential of vaccines to help end the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent further loss of life has offered hope in the fight against the pandemic, many formidable challenges remain before this goal is reached. Foremost among these challenges is the phenomenon of “vaccine hesitancy” which refers to a lack of confidence and acceptance of vaccines among the general public. A lack of confidence in vaccines has been exacerbated due to what is now referred to as an “infodemic”, with technology and social media being used at an unprecedented scale to spread misinformation about vaccines. Unless vaccine hesitancy is overcome, the goal of achieving herd immunity among the population will not be met, and with the emergence of new strains of the virus, the pandemic will continue to spread globally. Beyond COVID-19 vaccines, the challenge of overcoming vaccine hesitancy applies to vaccines more broadly as one of the most important public health interventions to manage and mitigate the health impacts of communicable diseases, and as a key strategy in achieving universal health care. 

To address these issues, the conference will convene leading international, regional and national experts to discuss various dimensions of confidence in vaccines and their acceptance by the general public. With this array of topics, the conference aims to engage a wide spectrum of participants including researchers, policy makers, the media, the general public, patient/consumer groups and civil society. 

Link: https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/apic2021/