Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Youth in South Africa: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy emerged as a highly contentious public health concern during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the pandemic becoming endemic, a proactive reflection on vaccine hesitancy among youth in South Africa is essential for understanding this cohort’s vaccine behaviours for informing future public health interventions. Using a narrative review, we explore existing literature on vaccine hesitancy among youth in South Africa. We highlight existing literature on youth vaccine hesitancy using international and local research studies. This was necessary since our findings showed that there is a dearth of evidenced-based literature that has explored vaccine hesitancy among youth in the South African context. This review was challenged by the different age ranges that were used to define youth in different research studies. We conclude with recommendations for mitigating vaccine hesitancy in South African youth.