THE ROLE OF HEALTH EDUCATION IN ADDRESSING VACCINE HESITANCY IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

This article aimed to discuss the role played by health education in tackling vaccine hesitancy, a complex and multifactorial phenomenon capable of compromising vaccination coverage rates and favoring the reappearance of vaccine-preventable diseases among children and adolescents. The work of PIBEX scholarship student, in the VacinAção Extension Project, sought to analyze the scientific evidence related to the role of health education in reducing vaccine hesitancy, identifying different forms of intervention, how they can be applied, and the effects they have generated. This is an integrative literature review carried out in the Virtual Health Library, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases, gathering articles published between 2016 and 2025, in Portuguese and English, related to health education, vaccine hesitancy, and educational interventions. The studies indicated that such strategies can expand knowledge by clarifying doubts and strengthening trust in vaccines, showing greater potential than standardized actions already implemented. It is concluded that health education can contribute to tackling vaccine hesitancy when developed on the basis of dialogue and personalization, being continuous and adapted according to the needs of each child, adolescent, and/or guardian.