Social Perception, Trust, and Reluctance Towards Vaccines: A Bibliometric Analysis (2019–2025)

TL;DR

This study explores how people's trust and perceptions influence vaccine hesitancy, using a combination of bibliometric analysis and qualitative research.

Contribution

The study introduces an integrated approach combining bibliometric and qualitative methods to understand vaccine hesitancy in diverse contexts.

Findings

Scientific production on vaccine trust is geographically concentrated in the U.S. and U.K.

Vaccine hesitancy is influenced by disinformation, trust in institutions, and community narratives.

Effective interventions require contextualized communication and trust-based health policies.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze social perception, trust, and vaccine hesitancy through a combined approach of bibliometric analysis and qualitative synthesis, based on the most cited articles in the recent scientific literature. A systematic search was conducted in indexed databases, identifying patterns of production, collaboration, citation, thematic networks, and conceptual trends associated with the study of public trust in vaccines. The results reveal a marked geographic concentration of scientific production, dominated by the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as a strong articulation of thematic clusters linked to digital disinformation, health communication, risk perception, and psychosocial determinants of vaccine acceptance. The qualitative synthesis of the most influential studies reveals that vaccine hesitancy is a multidimensional phenomenon, determined by sociocultural, cognitive, emotional, and structural factors that interact dynamically according to each context. Disinformation, institutional trust, community narratives, and the credibility of sources emerge as central components in individual decision-making. Together, the integrated results enable a deeper understanding of vaccine hesitancy beyond traditional cognitive models, highlighting the need for contextualized communication strategies, intercultural approaches, and health policies based on trust and social participation. This study provides an integral view of the scientific landscape and establishes priority lines for future research and the design of effective public health interventions.

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