Vaccine hesitancy and public trust in healthcare

Vaccine hesitancy is a cautious or critical stance towards vaccines. By some estimates, it is on the rise among the public. Medicine and public health have responded to this state of affairs partly by communicating the evidence on vaccines to the public. But some believe that this approach ignores important aspects of the nature of medical evidence, the values of the public and public health, and the conditions needed to foster trust in our healthcare institutions. These are the kinds of topics with which philosophers interested in the social dimensions of medicine and medical science grapple. Today’s consultation is with philosopher Maya Goldenberg, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Guelph.