Myths and misinformation associated with vaccine incompleteness: A survey study

Vaccine hesitancy is a relevant driver of backslides in immunization rates globally. Myths and misinformation are key contributors to vaccine hesitancy. We aimed to investigate associations between beliefs in popular vaccine myths and vaccine incompleteness.

In this survey, participants were asked questions on current vaccination status; barriers and motivations for vaccination; and beliefs regarding popular myths: the measles vaccine causes autism in children; acquiring the disease is preferable to facing vaccine side effects; and natural immunity developed from getting the disease is better than the immunity elicited by vaccination. We assessed the effect of failing to disagree with the myths on current vaccination status.

Of 4305 participants, 933 (22 %) were partially vaccinated and 61 (1 %) were fully unvaccinated; 403 (10 %) failed to disagree with the autism myth; 411 (10 %) failed to disagree with the side effects myth; and 904 (22 %) failed to disagree with the natural immunity myth. Failing to disagree with the myths was significantly associated with vaccine incompleteness.

Vaccine-related myths are associated with both partial and total vaccine incompleteness in Brazil.

Strategies to improve adherence to vaccination recommendations should include interventions to limit the spread or elucidate vaccine-related myths and misconceptions.