HEAL Project Outputs

Abstract

Human vaccine hesitancy spillover in the veterinary field is a relatively new concept that has gained traction since the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about vaccine safety have increased among pet owners leading to questions about the potential impacts of reduced vaccination and how veterinarians can address these attitudes. A systematic search strategy following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was used with 3 different databases to collect peer-reviewed research articles from 2022 until now. The initial search yielded 376 articles for review and 11 were included after screening. Articles were analyzed using a narrative review format. Results showed that pet owners are more vaccine hesitant than before with most concerns stemming from the number of vaccines given at once, booster vaccines, and cost.

Key recommendations from the review include: 1) veterinarians should build a supportive, trusting relationship with vaccine hesitant owners by showing how data relates to each individual, 2) veterinarians should offer combination vaccines to provide protection against multiple diseases in a single injection, 3) veterinarians should educate on zoonotic risks and have discussions around treatment versus vaccine costs. These recommendations may increase vaccination acceptance rates for pet owners, although future research should quantify the success of these methods to address vaccine hesitancy and continue exploring veterinary impact on public health.

Keywords

One health, Preventative care, Public health, Spillover effect, Vaccine, Vaccine hesitancy

Comments

We would like to thank Dr. Dianne Little, Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University, and Dr. Monica Kasting, Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University, for their contributions to the project. 

Date of this Version

2026

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