[How can social sciences contribute to vaccination in the tropics?]

In the past, governments were eager to propagate vaccines along generally adopted authoritarian methods. Yet, a retrospective inquiry detects uneven acceptance of vaccines, for reasons which point to differences in cultures and political contexts and involve also the efficacy and reliability of vaccines. After the Alma Ata conference in 1978, vaccines in the Tropics have become part of the core package of primary health care. In the context of political unrest and defiance toward the dominant powers (as illustrated in many countries, from Philippines to Nigeria), it remains more crucial than ever to pay due attention to the needs and demands of the population and listen to the way they wish to receive preventive and curative care. The importance of communicating on science in the making and respecting the individual's bodily integrity and intellectual autonomy is paramount in the Tropics.