Heidi J Larson
Biographic Data
| ID | 108509 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Heidi J Larson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Heidi J |
| FAMILY NAME | Larson |
| SIGNATURE | LARSON H J |
| AFFILIATIONS | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8477-7583 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 64 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 101 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 64 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1987 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Building trust during crises by engaging with existing distrust
It has often been argued that trust cannot be built during crises. While this line of thinking recognizes the importance of building trust before or after crises, it negates the possibility of building trust during a crisis. This paper offers two scenarios to argue for the possibilities of building trust during crises by engaging with existing distrust, with special reference to examples during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first considers distrust …
Opportunities and challenges to implementing mRNA-based vaccines and medicines: Lessons from Covid-19
The messenger RNA (mRNA) platform emerged at the forefront of vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, with two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines being among the first authorized globally. These vaccines were developed rapidly. Informed by decades of laboratory research, and proved to be safe and efficacious tools for mitigating the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mRNA platform holds promise for a broader medical application beyond COVI…
Pneumococcal vaccine uptake among high-risk adults and children in Italy: Results from the Obvious project survey
Pneumococcal vaccination uptake within prioritized groups and children in Italy remains inadequate. Scarce awareness of vaccine availability and obstacles in accessing vaccinations emerge as principal barriers influencing this scenario
Between now and later: A mixed methods study of HPV vaccination delay among Chinese caregivers in urban Chengdu, China
In urban areas, Chinese caregivers' intent to delay vaccination in favour of 9vHPV vaccine over receiving the more accessible options was influenced by a mix of individual and contextual factors. Focussed health communication strategies are needed to accelerate HPV vaccination among adolescents
Rates and determinants of Rotavirus vaccine uptake among children in Italy: A cross-sectional study within the 2022 Obvious* project
Consistent collection of behavioural preferences and socioeconomic characteristics of recipients of rotavirus vaccine campaigns, their epidemiological information, cost-benefit, and national policy data are crucial for designing effective vaccination strategies in Italy and other European countries with similar social profiles to reach the target uptake
A survey of Covid-19 vaccine acceptance across 23 countries in 2022
Embracing context: Lessons from designing a dialogue-based intervention to address vaccine hesitancy
Dialogue with people who are vaccine hesitant has been recommended as a method to increase vaccination uptake. The process of cultivating dialogue is shaped by the context in which it occurs, yet the development of interventions addressing vaccine hesitancy with dialogue often overlooks the role of context and favors relatively fixed solutions. This reflexive paper shares three key lessons related to context for dialogue-based interventions. Thes…
Caregivers’ understanding of childhood influenza vaccination during the epidemic in China. A mixed-methods study
Introduction: Influenza vaccination uptake among young children has been poor in China, but it is unclear how it changed during the COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the uptake status and reasons of childhood influenza vaccination during the pandemic in China. Methods: A mixed-methods study combining a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews was conducted in Anhui, Shaanxi, and Guangdong provinces between September and Novembe…
Effect of a mobile app chatbot and an interactive small-group webinar on Covid-19 vaccine intention and confidence in Japan: A randomised controlled trial
INTRODUCTION: We investigated the effect of social media-based interventions on COVID-19 vaccine intention (VI) and confidence in Japan. METHODS: We conducted a three-arm randomised controlled trial between 5 November 2021 and 9 January 2022 during a low incidence (<1000/day) of COVID-19 in Japan in the midst of the second and the third waves. Japanese citizens aged ≥20 who had not received any COVID-19 vaccine and did not intend to be vaccinated…
Figuring stuff out myself” – a qualitative study on maternal vaccination in socially and ethnically diverse areas in England
Our study showed how structural and organisational factors can compound uncertainties around maternal vaccination among socially and ethnically diverse populations. Results highlight the need for more reliable resources, streamlined workflows, improved electronic information systems and training in their use. Roles and responsibilities should be clarified with potential greater involvement of nurses and pharmacists in vaccine provision. Education…
More than one crisis: Covid-19 response actors navigating multi-dimensional crises in Flanders, Belgium
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted societies globally. Public health institutions were tasked with responding to the pandemic in a dynamic and uncertain context. This paper sheds light on the experiences of COVID-19 response actors as they navigated multi-dimensional crises associated with the pandemic in general and vaccine hesitancy in particular. This research was conducted during the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Flanders,…
Nurturing, nudging and navigating the increasingly precarious nature of cooperation in public health: The cases of vaccination and organ donation
Many public health initiatives encouraging positive health behaviours require patient cooperation in the face of perceived costs and health risks. Ongoing public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the organ shortage, underscore the necessity of incorporating an understanding of human cooperation and the motivators for cooperation into social and public health policy. We explore the costs, benefits and motivators regarding cooperat…
The emotional life of cooperation: A reply to commentaries on ‘Nurturing, nudging and navigating the increasingly precarious nature of cooperation in public health: the cases of vaccination and organ …
The emotional life of cooperation: a reply to commentaries on ‘Nurturing, nudging and navigating the increasingly precarious nature of cooperation in public health: the cases of vaccination and organ donation’ by Heidi J. Larson and Alexander H. Toledo" published on 13 Nov 2023 by Bristol University Press
Vaccine mandates and public trust do not have to be antagonistic
An epidemic of uncertainty: Rumors, conspiracy theories and vaccine hesitancy
The Vaccine-Hesitant Moment
Examining the effects of psychological reactance on Covid-19 vaccine acceptance: Comparison of two countries
Background: Despite the public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines being necessary to achieve ample immunization rates and, in turn, put an end to the global pandemic, vaccine hesitancy and refusal are on the rise. To detect and address the concerns of those who are hesitant, it is critical to identify all potential factors behind vaccine decision-making in order to devise strategies to enhance vaccine acceptance and uptake. Methods: We retrieved a t…
Defining and measuring vaccine hesitancy
A global survey of potential acceptance of a Covid-19 vaccine
Challenges in ensuring global access to Covid-19 vaccines: Production, affordability, allocation, and deployment
Vaccine safety in the next decade: Why we need new modes of trust building
Among the realm of highly varied vaccine perceptions and concerns expressed by publics around the world, vaccine safety is the most frequently cited. While many of the safety questions raised have substantial evidence to address the concerns, vaccines do have small risks, and need vigilant and responsive systems to address them. With more and more new vaccines, combinations of vaccines and new technologies to develop and deliver them, new safety …
Saint Google, now we have information!”: A qualitative study on narratives of trust and attitudes towards maternal vaccination in Mexico City and Toluca
Pregnant women, soon to be parents and making vaccination decisions for their child, constitute an important target group for policymakers seeking optimal maternal as well as childhood immunization coverage. Our findings highlight the importance of targeted communication, trust-building and engagement strategies to strengthen confidence in immunization amongst this group
Data Sources for Understanding the Social Determinants of Health: Examples from Two Middle-Income Countries: the 3-D Commission
The expansion in the scope, scale, and sources of data on the wider social determinants of health (SDH) in the last decades could bridge gaps in information available for decision-making. However, challenges remain in making data widely available, accessible, and useful towards improving population health. While traditional, government-supported data sources and comparable data are most often used to characterize social determinants, there are st…
Use of Data to Understand the Social Determinants of Depression in Two Middle‐Income Countries: The 3‐D Commission
Why Debunking Misinformation Is Not Enough to Change People’s Minds About Vaccines
AffiliationsHeidi J. Larson is Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK, and the Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. David A. Broniatowski is with the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Measuring the impact of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA
We are the heroes because we are ready to die for this country: Participants' decision-making and grounded ethics in an Ebola vaccine clinical trial
The 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic presented a challenging setting in which to carry out clinical trials. This paper reports findings from social science research carried out in Kambia, Northern Sierra Leone during first year of an Ebola vaccine trial (August 2015-July 2016). The social science team collected data through ethnographic observation, 42 in depth interviews; 4 life narratives; 200 exit interviews; 31 key informant interviews; and 8 focus g…
Vaccine confidence and hesitancy in Brazil
Despite the overall benefits of immunization, vaccine hesitancy has been a growing trend and has been associated with the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. The aim of this study was to assess vaccine confidence and hesitancy in Brazil, as part of a wider project to map vaccine confidence globally. One thousand subjects were interviewed, either online or face-to-face, based on a general questionnaire regarding perceptions on vaccines and…
Nurturing, nudging and navigating the increasingly precarious nature of cooperation in public health: The cases of vaccination and organ donation
Many public health initiatives encouraging positive health behaviours require patient cooperation in the face of perceived costs and health risks. Ongoing public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the organ shortage, underscore the necessity of incorporating an understanding of human cooperation and the motivators for cooperation into social and public health policy. We explore the costs, benefits and motivators regarding cooperat…
Author Correction: Measuring the impact of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA
Photography that listens
In the following article, the author discusses selectivity in photography and how it can be used as a valuable tool in guiding field research. Borrowing from Henri‐Cartier Bresson's notion of capturing "decisive moments" with a camera, the author presents a case study of decisive moments shot during her research on first generation Indian and Pakistani children in London. The framing of decisive moments was guided by directions from the people be…
Defining and measuring vaccine hesitancy
Hope and trust in times of Zika: The views of caregivers and healthcare workers at the forefront of the epidemic in Brazil
This article investigates how hope and trust played out for two groups at the forefront of the Zika epidemic: caregivers of children with congenital Zika syndrome and healthcare workers. We conducted 76 in-depth interviews with members of both groups to examine hope and trust in clinical settings, as well as trust in public institutions, in the health system and in the government of Brazil. During and after the Zika epidemic, hope and trust were …
Politics and public trust shape vaccine risk perceptions
Why Debunking Misinformation Is Not Enough to Change People’s Minds About Vaccines
AffiliationsHeidi J. Larson is Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK, and the Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. David A. Broniatowski is with the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Gardner's Forest Fires: Hindu Bliss
Forest of Bliss Directed, filmed, and edited by Robert Gardner. Produced by Akos Oster and Robert Gardner. Sound second camera Ned Johnston. USA, 1985, 90 min
Photography that listens
In the following article, the author discusses selectivity in photography and how it can be used as a valuable tool in guiding field research. Borrowing from Henri‐Cartier Bresson's notion of capturing "decisive moments" with a camera, the author presents a case study of decisive moments shot during her research on first generation Indian and Pakistani children in London. The framing of decisive moments was guided by directions from the people be…
Coming to terms with complexity: A call to action for HIV prevention
Addressing the vaccine confidence gap
The role of publics in the introduction of new vaccines
The ‘public’ in public engagement could be a variety of stakeholders. Engaging with the public builds trust and helps to identify concerns that need to be addressed. There is a need for more research on the impact of different public engagement strategies on vaccination programmes to improve their effectiveness. The importance of listening to and engaging publics in the design and implementation of immunization policies and programmes has been we…
Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria during 1990–2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Understanding vaccine hesitancy around vaccines and vaccination from a global perspective: A systematic review of published literature, 2007–2012
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990–2013: A systematic analysi…
Measuring vaccine hesitancy: The development of a survey tool
In March 2012, the SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy was convened to define the term "vaccine hesitancy", as well as to map the determinants of vaccine hesitancy and develop tools to measure and address the nature and scale of hesitancy in settings where it is becoming more evident. The definition of vaccine hesitancy and a matrix of determinants guided the development of a survey tool to assess the nature and scale of hesitancy issues. Add…
Strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy – A systematic review
Global, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality, 1980–2015: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
BACKGROUND: Established in 2000, Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) catalysed extraordinary political, financial, and social commitments to reduce under-5 mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. At the country level, the pace of progress in improving child survival has varied markedly, highlighting a crucial need to further examine potential drivers of accelerated or slowed decreases in child mortality. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 …
Vaccine hesitancy and healthcare providers
While most people vaccinate according to the recommended schedule, this success is challenged by individuals and groups who delay or refuse vaccines. The aim of this article is to review studies on vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers (HCPs), and the influences of their own vaccine confidence and vaccination behaviour on their vaccination recommendations to others. The search strategy was developed in Medline and then adapted across sever…
Global, regional, and national levels of maternal mortality, 1990–2015: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
BACKGROUND: In transitioning from the Millennium Development Goal to the Sustainable Development Goal era, it is imperative to comprehensively assess progress toward reducing maternal mortality to identify areas of success, remaining challenges, and frame policy discussions. We aimed to quantify maternal mortality throughout the world by underlying cause and age from 1990 to 2015. METHODS: We estimated maternal mortality at the global, regional, …
The State of Vaccine Confidence 2016: Global Insights Through a 67-Country Survey
BACKGROUND: Public trust in immunization is an increasingly important global health issue. Losses in confidence in vaccines and immunization programmes can lead to vaccine reluctance and refusal, risking disease outbreaks and challenging immunization goals in high- and low-income settings. National and international immunization stakeholders have called for better monitoring of vaccine confidence to identify emerging concerns before they evolve i…
Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: A baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
BACKGROUND: In September, 2015, the UN General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs specify 17 universal goals, 169 targets, and 230 indicators leading up to 2030. We provide an analysis of 33 health-related SDG indicators based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015). METHODS: We applied statistical methods to systematically compiled data to estimate the performance of…
Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015
BACKGROUND: Improving survival and extending the longevity of life for all populations requires timely, robust evidence on local mortality levels and trends. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive assessment of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015. These results informed an in-depth investigation of observed and expected mortality patterns bas…
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: A systematic analysis for the Global …
BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. METHODS: We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of t…
Power, fairness and trust: Understanding and engaging with vaccine trial participants and communities in the setting up the Ebovac-Salone vaccine trial in Sierra Leone
The paper firstly emphasises the value of social science in the setting up of clinical trials, in terms of providing an in depth understanding of context and social dynamics. Secondly, the paper suggests the importance of a close collaboration between research and community engagement to effectively confront political and social dynamics, especially in the context of an epidemic
Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: A novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Stud…
BACKGROUND: National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality amenable to health care only focused on high-income countries and faced several methodological challenges. In the present analysis, we use the highly standardised cause of death and risk factor …
Global, regional, and national under-5 mortality, adult mortality, age-specific mortality, and life expectancy, 1970–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
BACKGROUND: Detailed assessments of mortality patterns, particularly age-specific mortality, represent a crucial input that enables health systems to target interventions to specific populations. Understanding how all-cause mortality has changed with respect to development status can identify exemplars for best practice. To accomplish this, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) estimated age-specific and …
Global, Regional, and National Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life-years for 32 Cancer Groups, 1990 to 2015: A Systematic Analysi…
IMPORTANCE: Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Current estimates on the burden of cancer are needed for cancer control planning. OBJECTIVE: To estimate mortality, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 32 cancers in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Cancer mortality was estimated using vital registration system dat…
Controversial Ebola vaccine trials in Ghana: A thematic analysis of critiques and rebuttals in digital news
The rumours captured through this research indicate the variety of strong emotions drawn out by the trials, highlighting the importance of understanding the emotional and social context of such research. The uncertainty, fear, and distrust associated with the trials draw from the contemporary context of the Ebola outbreak, as well as longstanding historical issues in Ghana. By analysing the debate from its inception, we can see how the controvers…
Measuring trust in vaccination: A systematic review
Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
BACKGROUND: Global development goals increasingly rely on country-specific estimates for benchmarking a nation's progress. To meet this need, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 estimated global, regional, national, and, for selected locations, subnational cause-specific mortality beginning in the year 1980. Here we report an update to that study, making use of newly available data and improved methods. GBD …
Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: A systematic analysis for the Global Burde…
BACKGROUND: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of "leaving no one behind", it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2…
Medicine (54 works) · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy (37 works) · Environmental health (28 works) · Public health (26 works) · Political science (24 works) · Nursing (20 works) · Family medicine (18 works) · Population (17 works) · Disease (16 works) · Vaccination (16 works)