Mapping Eight Decades of Vaccination Social Science: Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends

Despite growing recognition of vaccination social science as essential to immunization strategies, the field's evolution, geographic distribution, and research patterns remain poorly characterized. This study provides the first comprehensive mapping of the social science literature on vaccination over eight decades.

We conducted a bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed publications indexed in PubMed from their inception, using a systematic search strategy that combined vaccination and social science terms. Publications were analyzed using the Bibliometrix R package (version 5.0) to examine temporal trends, author productivity, institutional contributions, geographic distribution, and thematic evolution globally.

We retrieved 8005 eligible publications. Analysis highlighted three chronological research phases: sporadic early work (1945-1980, n = 85), sustained growth (1981-2019, n = 2743), and unprecedented expansion since the COVID-19 era (2020-2024, n = 4563). Annual publications reached a peak in 2022 (n = 1686). Research spans 146 countries but remains concentrated in high-income countries, with the United States (n = 10,230), China (n = 3796), and Canada (n = 2288) leading production. The top 20 institutions were from the United States (n = 8), United Kingdom (n = 4), and Canada (n = 3), with a few institutions from African countries. International collaboration was moderate (19.44%). Thematic analysis revealed a clear evolution from biological science (1963-1999) to socio-behavioural science, with an emphasis on vaccine hesitancy, trust, communication, and health equity (2015-2024).

Vaccination social science has grown steadily over the decades, with a sharp rise in research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most studies were from high-income countries, underscoring the need for enhanced social science capacity in low- and middle-income countries. As the focus of immunization efforts shifts toward issues like vaccine hesitancy and trust, broader collaboration and inclusion will be key to improving vaccine uptake worldwide.