Do peer-based education interventions effectively improve vaccination acceptance? a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Education
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccine acceptance is crucial for disease control, but hesitancy undermines public health efforts.
• Multicomponent, dialogue-based interventions are most effective for improving vaccination beliefs and uptake.
• Peer-based education, utilizing individuals within the same social group as educators, is a promising strategy.

Conclusions:

• While peer education shows positive effects on vaccine uptake and beliefs, existing research is limited.
• Combined peer and health-expert approaches, along with group-specific, long-term interventions, appear most effective.
• Further research is necessary to validate these findings and explore effectiveness across various settings and vaccine types.