Editorial: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa: a complex social phenomenon

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant health, human, social and economic impacts on South African (SA) society. COVID-19 vaccines currently offer the most promising means to safeguard personal health, protect the most vulnerable populations, reopen social and economic life, and potentially achieve population health and safety through immunity.[1] However, the success of COVID-19 vaccines depends on high levels of uptake. Supply-side factors related to vaccine availability, infrastructure and accessibility all pose significant challenges to optimal uptake in SA.[2,3] Vaccine hesitancy " which involves varying levels of doubt, indecision, uncertainty or mistrust about vaccination[4] " is an additional challenge. Vaccine hesitancy poses significant risks, not only for the hesitant individual, but also for the wider community.