TGHN LAC and PROCC promote a meeting between Brazil and South Africa on vaccine hesitancy
On 27 January, part of the Fiocruz team from The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean (TGHN LAC) met with researcher Katherine Hill from the University of the Witwatersrand to discuss research on vaccine hesitancy and the work carried out by the network in the region. The meeting allowed participants to learn about each other's work and explore opportunities for collaboration and capacity building between the institutions.
About the meeting
The event was organised by the Fiocruz Scientific Computing Programme (PROCC), which is part of the Vice-Presidency of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC). The team was represented by project coordinator Flávia Bueno, data coordinator Larissa Marques, researchers Laís Araújo and Letícia Marinho, and communications analyst Luisa Picanço. To further discuss vaccine hesitancy, researchers Ester Paiva Souto and Priscila Cardia Petra from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Public Health Emergencies (Niesp), who study the topic in Brazil, also participated.
Research on vaccine hesitancy in Brazil and abroad
During the meeting, Ester and Petra presented Niesp’s work. Ester explained that delays in vaccine acceptance or outright refusal have worsened in recent years due to the spread of misinformation, fiscal austerity policies, and the political landscape of the pandemic. Petra shared data from a study conducted by Niesp during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, highlighting fear of adverse reactions as one of the main factors contributing to hesitancy, alongside the influence of researchers and public institutions, particularly on social media, in discouraging vaccination.
The Bambisana Study and its significance for vaccination
Hill presented her research focus and highlighted potential areas for data analysis exchange on influenza and Covid-19, particularly in working with communities and using science communication as a tool to combat vaccine hesitancy. She also shared details of The Bambisana Study, developed with the University of the Witwatersrand, which aims to increase vaccine coverage and provide integrated information to the population of Soweto, Johannesburg.
Join the TGHN LAC community
Check out some of Niesp’s articles on vaccine hesitancy:
Childhood vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 an analysis based on the perception of health professionals