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Vaccine hesitancy and uptake during pregnancy: investigating the role of emotional mental imagery

Vaccine hesitancy and suboptimal vaccine uptake pose significant threats to public health, but modifiable psychological factors underpinning them are under-investigated. We examined the prevalence of spontaneous emotional mental imagery relating to infectious diseases and perinatal vaccines and its unique associations with vaccine hesitancy and uptake behaviour.

Citation:
Ji JL, Bradfield Z, Notebaert L, …… Hughes C, Warland J, …….. Blyth CC, Attwell K. Vaccine hesitancy and uptake during pregnancy: investigating the role of emotional mental imagery. Soc Sci Med. 2026;401.  

Abstract:
Vaccine hesitancy and suboptimal vaccine uptake pose significant threats to public health, but modifiable psychological factors underpinning them are under-investigated. We examined the prevalence of spontaneous emotional mental imagery relating to infectious diseases and perinatal vaccines and its unique associations with vaccine hesitancy and uptake behaviour.