Politicizing prevention: Vaccine polarization, misinformation, and institutional trust in Brazil
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Brazil once had some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, yet coverage has declined sharply since 2015 despite universal and free access. Why has hesitancy increased in a system historically marked by strong immunization capacity and broad political support? Drawing on an original survey and in-depth interviews with health workers and municipal officials, this article argues that vaccine hesitancy in Brazil reflects the interaction of misinformation, partisan alignment, and fragmented institutional trust in a decentralized democracy. First, misinformation surrounding COVID-19 generated spillover effects that reduced confidence in routine vaccines. Second, credibility cues matter: misinformation attributed to physicians is more persuasive than identical claims from political, religious, or interpersonal sources. Third, polarization is directional: Bolsonaro supporters are significantly more likely to express hesitancy, while support for pro-vaccine leaders does not produce equivalent consolidation. In polarized and decentralized contexts, trust in vaccine-skeptical elites can amplify rather than mitigate resistance to preventive health policy.
Author: Tiago Tasca
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7210295607